!i        i  1  ;i     i     ill; 
1 

iil'iliiii;         |  I  !l     ;  I    i  i  |!  !!ij! 

'i 

Si 


.B.-W05 


GIFT   OF 
Mrs.   Gladys   Isaacson 


LEO     N,    LEVI 


MEMORIAL    VOLUME 


LEO  N.  LEVI 

I.  O.  B.  B. 

1905 


PRINTED  BY 

HAMBURGER    PRINTING    CO. 

63-69  MARKET  STREET, 

CHICAGO,  ILL. 


":/!>iO"      . 


••-t*~-4,.&-.$-^- 


TO  THE  MEMORY  OF 

LEO  N.  LEVI, 

A  leader  safe  and  sane,  a  thinker  erudite  and  profound,  an  orator 
unexcelled  in  his  generation,  a  man  good  and  true,  a  distin 
guished  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  an  ideal  Jew,  this 
volume  is  dedicated  by  his  admiring  and  sorrowing  brethren, 

THE    INDEPENDENT   ORDER   OF   B'NAI    B'RITH. 


R183.1 3 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  rendition  of  tribute  to  worth  or  greatness,  is  an  attribute 
of  advanced  civilization,  and  in  plastic  marble,  or  responsive 
bronze,  shaped  by  master  hands,  grateful  Commonwealths  often 
offer  willing  homage  to  their  illustrious  dead. 

But  the  imposing  statue  also  perpetuates  the  memory  of  the 
gifted  artist,  whose  wondrous  skill  endows  the  lifeless  material 
with  majesty,  dignity,  and  the  expressive  lineaments  of  the 
human  form  divine. 

And  thus  the  creator  of  the  testimonial  shares  the  fame  of 
him,  whose  achievements  are  thereby  commemorated. 

But  a  loyal  Brotherhood  offers  a  more  unique  memorial  of 
its  affection  and  regard  for  its  inspired  chieftain. 

It  has  sought  no  aid  from  the  cultured  imagination  of  me 
chanical  proficiency  of  stranger  or  friend,  but  has  designed  a 
monument,  every  part  of  which,  from  base  to  summit,  is  fash 
ioned  from  material  supplied  by  the  intellect  and  industry  of 
him  it  attempts  to  honor. 

Upon  these  pages,  the  sayings  of  a  man  born  to  lead,  and 
fruitful  in  accomplishment,  are  faithfully  transcribed.  They  bear 
incontrovertible  testimony  to  the  thoroughness  and  profundity 
of  his  knowledge;  the  wide  range  of  his  culture;  his  invincible 
logic;  his  faultless  diction;  his  mastery  of  every  subject  he 
studied. 

They  reveal  his  breadth  of  mind ;  his  freedom  from  prejudice ; 
his  buoyant  optimism;  his  broad  cosmopolitanism,  as  well  as  his 
unfaltering  patriotism  and  devotion  to  his  country. 

They  chronicle  his  constant,  sympathetic  regard  for  the  ailing 

5 


O  INTRODUCTION     AND    BIOGRAPHY. 

and  dependent  of  his  own  race;  his  exalted  conception  of  duty; 
his  consecration  of  his  strongest  efforts  to  the  best  interest  of 
humanity  at  large ;  his  fealty  to  the  faith  of  his  fathers ;  and  his 
unswerving  JaUejgiance  to  the  beneficent  Order  he  so  conspicu 
ously  ledt  to  victory,  and  success. 

1 : .'  it'  ,is  "singular  that  a  man  so  lavishly  gifted  with  the  higher 
qualities  of  intellectual  and  moral  manhood, — strikingly  fitted  to 
win  distinction  in  the  most  exalted  of  official  stations;  qualified 
to  direct  the  policy  of  governments ;  and  equal  to  any  responsi 
bility  which  might  be  imposed  upon  him  by  his  country, — did 
not,  at  any  time,  seek  political  preferment,  or  make  any  de 
mands  upon  the  suffrages  of  his  fellow-man. 

Neither  the  glittering  baubles,  nor  the  substantial  advantages 
of  wealth  had  for  him  any  allurements;  he  valued  money,  not 
as  the  end  of  effort,  but  solely  as  a  means  of  doing  good,  and 
would  not  devote  his  time  nor  energies  to  its  mere  accumulation. 

The  plaudits  of  the  multitude  never  instilled  in  him  ambi 
tion  for  place  or  power;  never  tempted  him  to  swerve  from  the 
pathway  to  the  goal  which  was  his  ultimate  aim.  He  was  never 
dazzled  by  the  seductive  zeal  of  the  theorist,  but  always  safe  and 
sane,  he  deliberately  selected  his  field  of  duty,  and  within  its 
environments  there  was  none  to  excel  him. 

Gradually,  by  the  very  force  and  strength  of  his  character 
his  sphere  of  operations  was  naturally  enlarged,  and  when  the 
civilized  world  was  startled  by  the  horrible  crimes  perpetuated 
upon  the  innocent  and  unoffending  at  Kischineff,  Bessarabia, 
Russia,  on  the  iQth  of  April,  1903,  he  then,  as  the  executive  of 
the  greatest  secular  organization  of  Jews  in  America,  displayed 
the  highest  qualities  of  the  statesman  in  endeavoring  to  solve 
the  grave  and  absorbing  problems  thus  presented,  made  avail 
able  the  moral  force  engendered  by  enlightened  public  sentiment 
aroused  to  the  condemnation  of  outrage  and  wrong,  and  by  his 
consummate  ability  achieved  international  renown. 

It  was  his  crowning  aspiration,  after  making  sufficient  pro 
vision  for  his  loved  ones,  to  consecrate  his  labors  to  the  better 
ment  of  mankind. 


INTRODUCTION    AND    BIOGRAPHY.  7 

To  aid  in  the  accomplishment  of  his  purpose,  nature  had 
served  him  well.  He  was  tall  in  stature,  and  had  the  carriage 
and  build  of  an  athlete ;  a  massive  brow  gave  evidence  of  his 
powerful  intellect,  while  his  steady,  penetrating,  but  kindly  eyes, 
finely  molded  features  and  attractive  personality,  easily  enchained 
attention.  , 

It  was  an  unalloyed  pleasure  to  listen  to  the  resonant  tones  of 
his  cultivated  voice,  which  could  easily  reach  the  limit  of  the 
largest  auditoriums,  and  which,  at  his  will,  could  persuade  and 
arouse  to  enthusiasm,  the  delighted  hearers. 

He  left  no  topic  unembellished ;  was  never,  in  any  discus 
sion,  at  a  loss  for  the  proper  word ;  and  his  capacity  as  a  debater 
and  controversialist  was  remarkable.  He  did  not  know  how  to 
flatter,  but  sought  to  influence  by  the  rectitude  of  his  motives, 
and  the  convincing  power  of  his  talents. 

And  he  was  equally  facile  with  his  pen.  And  thus,  to  take 
him  all  in  all,  he  had  no  superior  in  his  time  and  generation. 

He  was  singularly  gifted  as  an  after-dinner  speaker,  equal  to 
any  emergency,  responding  to  every  demand  without  effort  or 
preparation,  and  commanding  applause  on  every  occasion,  but 
no  attempt  has  been  made  to  reproduce  here  any  of  his  extem 
poraneous  addresses. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  to  extend  the  dimensions  of  this  volume 
by  incorporating  herein  his  speeches,  or  essays,  of  mere  local 
interest. 

The  celebrated  "Kischineff  Petition"  was  wholly  prepared  by 
him  and  is  herewith  appended : 

"To  His  Imperial  Majesty,  the  Emperor  of  Russia: 

The  cruel  outrages  perpetrated  at  Kischineff  during  Easter 
of  1903  have  excited  horror  and  reprobation  throughout  the 
world.  Until  your  Majesty  gave  special  and  personal  directions 
the  local  authorities  failed  to  maintain  order  or  suppress  the 
rioting.  The  victims  were  Jews,  and  the  assault  was  the  result 
of  race  and  religious  prejudice.  The  rioters  violated  the  laws 
of  Russia. 


8  INTRODUCTION    AND    BIOGRAPHY. 

The  local  officials  were  derelict  in  the  performance  of  their 
duty. 

The  Jews  were  the  victims  of  indefensible  lawlessness. 

These  facts  are  made  plain  by  the  official  reports  of,  and  by 
the  official  acts  following,  the  riot. 

Under  ordinary  conditions  the  awful  calamity  would  be  de 
plored  without  undue  fear  of  a  recurrence.  But  such  is  not  the 
case  in  the  present  instance.  Your  petitioners  are  advised  that 
millions  of  Jews,  Russian  subjects,  dwelling  in  Southwestern  Rus 
sia,  are  in  constant  dread  of  fresh  outbreaks. 

They  feel  that  ignorance,  superstition  and  bigotry,  as  exempli 
fied  by  the  rioters,  are  ever  ready  to  persecute  them;  that  the 
local  officials,  unless  thereunto  specially  admonished,  cannot  be 
relied  on  as  strenuous  protectors  of  their  peace  and  security;  that 
a  public  sentiment  of  hostility  has  been  engendered  against  them 
and  hangs  over  them  as  a  continuing  menace. 

Even  if  it  is  conceded  that  these  fears  are  to  some  extent 
exaggerated,  it  is  unquestionable  that  they  exist,  that  they  are 
not  groundless,  and  that  they  produce  effects  of  great  im 
portance. 

The  westward  migration  of  Russian  Jews,  which  has  pro 
ceeded  for  over  twenty  years,  is  being  stimulated  by  these  fears, 
and  already  that  movement  has  become  so  great  as  to  over 
shadow  in  magnitude  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  from  Spain  and 
to  rank  with  the  exodus  from  Egypt. 

No  estimate  is  possible  of  the  misery  suffered  by  the  hapless 
Jews  who  feel  driven  to  forsake  their  native  land,  to  sever  the 
most  sacred  ties,  and  to  wander  forth  to  strange  countries. 

Neither  is  it  possible  to  estimate  the  misery  suffered  by  those 
who  are  unwilling  or  unable  to  leave  the  land  of  their  birth,  who 
must  part  from  friends  and  relatives  who  emigrate,  who  remain 
in  never  ending  terror. 

Religious  persecution  is  more  sinful  and  more  fatuous  than 
war.  War  is  sometimes  necessary,  honorable  and  just;  religious 
persecution  is  never  defensible. 

The  sinfulness  and  folly  which  give  impulse  to  unnecessary 


INTRODUCTION    AND    BIOGRAPHY.  9 

war  received  their  greatest  check  when  your  Majesty's  initiative 
resulted  in  an  international  court  of  peace. 

With  such  an  example  before  it  the  civilized  world  cherishes 
the  hope  that  upon  the  same  initiative  there  shall  be  fixed  in  the 
early  days  of  the  twentieth  century  the  enduring  principles  of 
religious  liberty;  that  by  a  gracious  and  convincing  expression 
your  Majesty  will  proclaim,  not  only  for  the  government  of 
your  own  subjects,  but  also  for  the  guidance  of  all  civilized  men, 
that  none  shall  suffer  in  person,  property,  liberty,  honor  or  life 
because  of  his  religious  belief;  that  the  humblest  subject  or 
citizen  may  worship  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  con 
science,  and  that  government,  whatever  its  former  agencies, 
must  safeguard  these  rights  and  immunities  by  the  exercise  of 
all  its  powers. 

Far  removed  from  your  Majesty's  dominions,  living  under 
different  conditions  and  owing  allegiance  to  another  Govern 
ment,  your  petitioners  yet  venture,  in  the  name  of  civilization, 
to  plead  for  religious  liberty  and  tolerance ;  to  plead  that  he  who 
led  his  own  people  and  all  others  to  the  shrine  of  peace  will 
add  new  lustre  to  his  reign  and  fame  by  leading  a  new  movement 
that  shall  commit  the  whole  world  in  opposition  to  religious 
persecutions." 

On  July  1 4th,  1903,  this  impressive  document  was,  by  the 
order  of  President  Roosevelt,  cabled,  without  alteration,  to  the 
American  Charge  d'  Affaires  at  St.  Petersburg,  with  a  letter 
of  introduction  signed  by  Secretary  Hay.  The  petition  had 
nearly  thirteen  thousand  signatures. 

Subsequently,  the  petition,  with  the  signatures,  was  bound 
in  a  suitable  volume,  and  on  October  5,  1903,  transmitted  to  the 
Secretary  of  State,  accompanied  by  a  communication  from  him, 
as  President  of  the  Executive  Committee,  from  which  we  make 
the  following  extract: 

"For  all  time  to  come,  it  will  testify  to  the  love  of  justice, 
humanity  and  liberty  which  moved  the  President  to  give  it 
countenance  and  its  signers  to  father  it.  It  stands  as  the  verdict 
of  the  whole  people  condemning  the  denial  of  religious  liberty, 


IO  INTRODUCTION    AND    BIOGRAPHY. 

and  upholding  the  President  in  asserting  that  condemnation. 
If  it  be  without  precedent,  it  is  the  more  precious  for  becoming 
one.  Civilization  made  a  distinct  and  notable  advance  when  a 
great  nation  of  eighty  millions  of  people,  speaking  not  only 
through  its  official  head,  but  also  through  its  most  representative 
citizens  in  their  individual  capacities,  served  notice  on  the  world 
that  those  who  are  made  to  suffer  martyrdom  for  conscience's 
sake,  wherever  they  may  abide,  have  friends  and  sympathizers 
in  this  country.  Such  an  example  will  not  be  lost.  The  oppres 
sor  will  hereafter  pause  before  he  strikes,  and  his  victim  will 
be  saved  from  utter  despair  by  the  consciousness  that  the  voice 
of  humanity  will  be  raised  in  his  behalf. 

"In  this  view,  the  services  rendered  by  the  President,  his  ad 
visers  and  the  people  generally,  are  not  to  be  measured  by  the 
benefits  conferred  upon  the  Jews  alone.  This  is  one  of  the  oft- 
recurring  cases  in  which  the  Jews,  by  their  misfortunes,  have 
led  the  world  to  a  just  appreciation  of  the  truths  of  which  they 
are  the  devoted  missionaries. 

"In  every  part  of  the  world  where  Jews  are  to  be  found  there 
is  thanksgiving  because  the  President  and  you  and  the  entire 
American  people  have  championed  the  cause  of  the  oppressed. 

"Everywhere  admiration  has  been  excited,  and  in  this  coun 
try  the  people  are  proud  of  the  courageous  humanity  which  has 
been  displayed." 

On  October  31,  1903,  the  Honorable  John  Hay,  one  of  the 
greatest  statesmen  of  the  United  States,  universally  loved  and 
honored  throughout  this  great  land  of  liberty,  made  the  fol 
lowing  remarkable  acknowledgment: 

"October  31,  1903. 

"Leo  N.  Levi,  Esquire,  President  of  the  Executive  Committee 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith,  723  Lexington 
Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

"My  dear  Sir: — 

"I  have  received  at  the  hands  of  the  Honorable  Simon  Wolf, 


INTRODUCTION    AND    BIOGRAPHY.  II 

your  letter  of  the  5th  of  October.     He  has  also  delivered  to  me 
the  bound  copy  of  the  Kischineff  Petition. 

"It  gives  me  pleasure  to  accept  the  charge  of  this  important 
and  significant  document,  and  assign  it  a  place  in  the  archives 
of  the  Department  of  State. 

"Although  this  copy  of  your  petition  did  not  reach  the  high 
destination  for  which  it  was  intended,  its  words  have  attained 
a  world-wide  publicity,  and  have  found  a  lodgment  in  many 
thousands  of  minds.  This  petition  will  be  always  memorable, 
not  only  for  what  it  contains,  but  also  for  the  number  and  weight 
of  the  signatures  attached  to  it,  embracing  some  of  the  most 
eminent  names  of  our  generation,  of  men  renowned  for  intelli 
gence,  philanthropy  and  public  spirit.  In  future,  when  the 
students  of  history  come  to  peruse  this  document,  they  will  won 
der  how  the  petitioners,  moved  to  profound  indignation  by 
intolerable  wrongs  perpetrated  on  the  innocent  and  helpless, 
should  have  expressed  themselves  in  language  so  earnest  and 
eloquent  and  yet  so  dignified,  so  moderate  and  decorous.  It  is 
a  valuable  addition  to  public  literature,  and  it  will  be  sacredly 
cherished  among  the  treasures  of  this  Department.  I  am, 
Very  respectfully  yours, 

(Sd.)  JOHN   HAY." 

A  brief  sketch  of  the  life  of  this  great  man,  prepared  by  a 
friend  of  many  years  duration,  and  the  Rabbi  of  the  Congrega 
tion  at  Galveston  of  which  he  was  a  member,  Dr.  Henry  Cohn, 
is  herewith  appended. 

JOSEPH   HIRSH, 

January   15,   1907.  Vicksburg,  Miss. 


12  INTRODUCTION    AND    BIOGRAPHY. 


In  New  York  City,  at  the  dawn  of  day,  on  Wednesday, 
January  I3th,  1904,  all  that  was  mortal  of  Leo  N.  Levi  passed 
away.  His  death  came  as  a  terrible  shock  to  his  friends  and 
acquaintances ;  to  his  wife  and  children,  brothers  and  sisters,  it 
was  as  if  the  sun  was  obscured  at  noon-day. 

Mr.  Levi  was  a  born  leader.  Rising  from  the  ranks,  he  mas 
tered  every  position  he  held,  and  there  was  no  situation .  that 
confronted  him  but  to  which  he  was  equal.  His  fine  diplomacy  in 
the  preparation  of  the  Kishineff  Petition,  which  was  immediately 
accepted  as  framed,  and  its  subsequent  presentation  to  Russia, 
through  the  services  of  President  Roosevelt  and  the  late  John 
Hay,  is  an  instance  of  his  acumen.  "You  are  a  great  diplomat, 
Mr.  Levi,"  said  Mr.  Hay,  upon  the  former's  suggesting  the 
cablegram  to  Riddle  at  St.  Petersburg  as  the  best  means  of 
reaching  the  Czar,  "and  would  make  a  great  ambassador."  To 
bring  order  out  of  chaos,  whether  he  were  dealing  with  com 
munal,  civic,  or  political  problems,  was  his  strong  point.  In 
numerous  instances  he  saved  the  day  for  his  people  with  honor 
to  himself  and  to  the  cause  he  represented.  "A  great  man," 
said  President  Roosevelt  of  him.  Yea,  we  had  no  greater! 

Leo  N.  Levi  was  born  in  Victoria,  Texas,  September  isth, 
1856,  one  of  a  family  of  six  children  of  Abraham  and  Mina  Levi. 
Abraham  Levi  (born,  Alsace  1822 ;  died,  Victoria,  Texas,  Novem 
ber  3oth,  1902)  and  settled  in  Victoria  in  1849,  engaging 
in  mercantile  pursuits.  Having  received  the  school  education 
afforded  by  his  native  town,  Leo,  then  a  promising  youth  of 
sixteen,  matriculated  at  the  University  of  Virginia,  where,  after 
a  brilliant  college  career,  he  was  graduated  in  Law.  He  gained.. 


INTRODUCTION    AND   BIOGRAPHY.  13 

among  other  University  distinctions,  the  medal  for  the  best 
University  Magazine  article,  and  the  debater's  medal — a  coveted 
prize  then,  as  it  is  now.  It  was  while  pursuing  his  college 
•course  that  his  courage  and  manliness,  portending  so  much  for 
his  future,  were  first  put  on  trial.  As  has  often  happened  to 
our  co-religionists,  he  was  taunted  with  being  a  Jew,  and  he 
resented  it  verbally  and  physically.  He  won  the  admiration  of 
his  quondam  antagonists  (some  of  whom  afterwards  became 
his  life-long  friends)  by  his  attitude;  and  when  he  passed 
through  the  portals  of  "Old  Virginia,"  there  was  not  a  fellow 
student  but  thought  it  an  honor  to  clasp  his  hand. 

In  1876,  Leo  N.  Levi,  fresh  from  his  University  laurels, 
entered  the  law  office  of  Flournoy  &  Scott,  at  Galveston,  Texas, 
within  easy  distance  of  the  parental  roof  at  Victoria.  Prov 
ing  a  most  valuable  asset  to  that  prominent  firm,  he  was  offered 
a  partnership,  which  he  accepted.  In  1877,  he  married  Miss 
Ray  Bachrach,  the  love  of  his  college  days,  at  Charlottsville,  Va., 
and  at  the  time  of  his  sad  demise,  he  had  six  surviving  children. 
Making  Galveston  his  home,  he  became,  life  and  soul,  a  part  of 
his  environment,  working  for  the  best  interests  of  his  city,  county, 
and  state.  Upon  the  retirement  of  the  head  of  the  law  concern, 
with  which  he  was  connected,  the  firm,  under  the  name  of  Scott 
&  Levi,  and  subsequently  Scott,  Levi  &  Smith,  was  one  of  the 
best  known,  and  most  trusted  legal  establishments  in  the  State. 
Mr.  Levi  resided  in  Galveston  for  23  years  (1876-1899),  taking 
laudable  interest  in  all  municipal  affairs,  and  on  many  occasions 
of  grave  importance  to  the  city,  he  was  called  upon  to  plead  its 
cause  before  the  Legislative  bodies  of  the  State.  Such  tasks 
he  cheerfully  undertook,  often  at  great  inconvenience  to  him 
self,  and  at  the  sacrifice  of  his  own  business  interests.  And  Gal 
veston,  the  city  of  his  adoption,  recognizing  his  talent  and  worth, 
was  not  slow  to  do  him  honor.  When  the  late  President  of  the 
United  States,  Benjamin  Harrison,  visited  the  port  for  a  formal 
celebration,  the  city  asked  Leo  N.  Levi  and  two  other  gentle 
men  to  travel  some  distance  to  meet  him,  and  also  to  be  his 
constant  companion  during  his  stay.  A  clear  thinker,  a  most 
eloquent  and  fearless  speaker,  a  remarkable  logician,  he  served 


14  INTRODUCTION    AND    BIOGRAPHY. 

his  clients,  individuals  and  corporations,  with  unswerving  fidel 
ity;  and  he  was  known  far  and  wide  as  a  true  lawyer  and  a 
sound  jurist.  He  was  a  faithful  exponent  of  honorable  citizen 
ship.  He  never  aspired  to  political  preferment,  although  his 
exceptional  abilities  were  always  enlisted  in  the  cause  of  good 
government. 

His  public  life  did  not  lessen  his  allegiance  to  his  co-religion 
ists,  to  whom  he  was  ever  an  able  guide,  and  with  whom  he  was 
an  enthusiastic  worker.     In  1887,  he  was  elected  President  of 
Congregation  B'nai  Israel  at  Galveston,  and  retained  the  office 
until  his  departure  for  New  York.  During  those  twelve  years  and 
prior  to  that,  he  affiliated  with  every  local  charitable,  educational 
and  social  institution,  occupying  in  all  of  them,  at  one  time  or 
another,  positions  of  honor  and  responsibility.     Intellectual  cul 
ture  among  his  brethren  was  very  dear  to  him,  and  only  second 
to  the  desire  he  had  for  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  the 
oppressed  Israelites   all  over  the  world.     It  was   in   Galveston 
that  he  became  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  B'nai 
B'rith,  a  Jewish  fraternal  Organization,  whose  sphere  extends 
to  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe.     In  due  course  he  was  elected 
president  of  District  No.   7  of  that  Order,   comprising  seven 
southern  states,  and  more  than  once  he  received  engrossed  tes 
timonials    setting    forth    his    usefulness    to   his    district    Grand 
Lodge.     In  1900,  at  the  Constitution  Grand  Lodge  in  Chicago, 
Leo  N.  Levi  was  chosen  President  of  the  whole  Order  succeed 
ing  Mr.  Julius  Bien,  who  had  then  retired  from  the  presidency 
to  fill  the  position  of  Foreign  Chancellor.     As  the  head  of  the 
I.  O.  B.  B.,  Mr.  Levi  was  particularly  influential  in  the  appeal 
of  the  United  States  government  to  Roumania,  in  connection 
with  the  abominable  Jewish  policy  of  that  kingdom  and  subse 
quently  presented  to  President  Roosevelt  the  protest  addressed 
to  the  Russian  Government,  consequent  upon  the  horrible  mas 
sacre  at  Kishineff.    In  the  conferences  pending  these  negotiations 
Mr.  Levi  had  several  personal  interviews  with  the  President  of 
the  United  States.     The  cable  to  the  U.  S.  ambassador  at  St. 
Petersburg,  a  collaboration  of  John  Hay  and  Leo  N.  Levi,  em 
bodying  the  Kishineff  Petition,  which  Mr.  Levi   wrote  himself, 


INTRODUCTION     AND    BIOGRAPHY.  15 

will  go  down  to  history,  and  if  the  latter  had  accomplished 
nothing  else  in  his  life  than  the  work  incident  upon  this  unique 
circumstance,  notwithstanding  the  Czar's  refusal  to  receive  the 
matchless  document,  he  would  have  served  his  life's  purpose. 
But  apart  from  this  occurrence,  his  services  to  the  I.  O.  B.  B. 
and  through  this  organization  to  the  Jews  of  this  country  were 
inestimable.  As  has  been  said  above,  Leo  N.  Levi  was  a  noted 
speaker,  having  lectured  in  many  states  of  the  Union  and  on 
varied  subjects.  In  1899  he  delivered  the  Commencement  Lec 
ture  at  the  State  University  at  Austin,  "The  Successful  Life," 
which  was  acclaimed  to  be  the  best  address  ever  heard  within 
the  walls  of  that  institution,  and  which  the  faculty  use  today  in 
the  classical  department,  as  a  specimen  of  inspiring  thought  and 
lofty  diction. 

A  devoted  husband  and  father,  an  energetic  worker  in  hu 
manity's  cause,  an  ideal  and  an  inspiration  to  thousands  of  his 
fellow  citizens,  he  was  stricken  down  in  the  midst  of  a  career 
whose  usefulness  gave  promise  of  increase  with  years.  But  we 
know  nothing;  and  subject  to  an  inscrutable  Providence,  we  can 
only  bow  our  head  in  resignation,  and  pay  this  poor  tribute  to 
one  whose  like  we  shall  not  see  again. 

Ascend  Thou  to  heaven  thou  worthy  son  of  Abraham !  Thou 
art  mourned  by  hundreds  of  thousands !  Thy  life  has  been  well 
spent!  Abide  with  Thy  Maker  to  all  eternity! 

HENRY  COHEN. 
Galveston,  Texas,  May   I5th,   1906. 


ADDRESS  OF  ACCEPTANCE. 

Bro.  Leo  N.  Levi,  in  accepting  the  position,  spoke  as  follows : 
Brethren  of  the  Convention:  I  thank  you  for  this  great 
honor — for  honor  indeed  it  is.  The  feelings  which  arise  in  my 
breast  engender  a  fear  that  I  have  taken  upon  myself  a  burden 
under  which  I  shall  stagger,  if  not  fall.  I  told  you  last  night  I 
had  little  respect  for  mere  words,  and  I  shall  vindicate  that 
declaration  by  saying  but  little  here  now,  and  what  I  do  say  will 
be  in  the  line  of  the  performance  of  my  duty.  You  are  about 
to  follow  the  election  of  your  President  by  the  election  of  other 
officers  who  are  to  co-operate  with  him  and  work  with  him  in 
attaining  the  mission  of  our  Order.  I  say  to  you  and  I  say  to 
them  that  I  shall  receive  any  expressions  of  discontent,  any  crit 
icism  of  any  remissness  that  is  personal  to  myself  with  tender 
ness,  with  gentleness  and  with  a  forgiving  spirit.  But  I  say  to 
you  upon  this  solemn  and,  I  believe,  historic  occasion,  that  the 
man  who  is  associated  with  me  or  subordinated  to  me  who  fails 
or  falters  in  his  duty  to  the  Order  will  find  me  as  unrelenting 
and  as  severe  as  if  I  commanded  an  army  in  the  face  of  a  dan 
gerous  foe.  I  said  to  one  who  will  probably  be  on  the  Executive 
Committee,  and  I  repeat  it  now,  that  if  at  any  time  during  my 
administration  a  single  member  of  that  Committee  by  reason 
of  his  business  engagements,  sickness  or  other  cause  fails  to  per 
form  the  duties  of  his  office,  I  shall  expect  his  resignation,  and 
if  it  is  not  forthcoming,  I  shall  ask  it,  and  I  make  that  announce 
ment  to  you  now  because  I  don't  want  to  then  be  accused  of  au 
tocracy  or  of  despotism.  I  make  the  declaration  now  because  I 
want  your  sanction  to  that  declaration  of  policy,  and  if  you  dis 
sent  from  it,  I  want  a  declaration  of  dissent.  I  make  the  decla 
ration  now  because  I  want  you  to  bear  it  in  mind  when  you  se 
lect  the  members  of  your  Executive  Committee,  and  I  want  the 

16 


ADDRESS  OF  ACCEPTANCE.  17 

candidates  for  those  positions  to  keep  it  in  their  minds  when 
they  accept  the  responsibility.  If  I  stand  on  the  bridge  of  your 
vessel  in  the  storm  and  in  the  calm  to  guide  her  on  her  course,  I 
want  to  know  that  my  mates,  my  engineers  and  my  crew  are 
equally  vigilant  and  equally  diligent  in  the  performance  of  the 
duties  that  are  assigned  to  them,  and  I  shall  exact  it. 

It  has  been  said  that  we  are  entering  upon  a  new  era  in  the 
destiny  of  the  Jew.  I  believe  that,  I  believe  it  firmly.  I  stated 
years  ago  that  I  believed  that  the  salvation  of  Judaism  was  the 
American-born  Jew.  I  have  traveled  over  this  land  and  I  find 
our  young  men  and  our  young  women,  unversed  as  they  are  in 
the  old  traditional  forms  and  ceremonies,  strangers  to  the  ritual 
around  which  cling  so  many  tender  memories  in  the  minds  of  our 
older  people,  yet  animated,  inspired  and  uplifted  by  the  quicken 
ing  love  which  they  bear  to  the  old  ancestral  faith,  and  craving 
for  media  of  expression  for  that  feeling.  They  seek  it  in  good 
works,  in  charitable  deeds,  in  the  amelioration  of  the  condition 
of  our  fellowmen ;  and  I  believe  that  when  we  bring  to  them  the 
mission  which  has  sustained  us  so  long,  when  we  make  apparent 
to  them  that  here  is  the  field  for  their  activity,  that  we  will  gain 
from  them  that  co-operation,  in  the  need  of  which  we  so  sorely 
stand.  But  we  must  carry  our  wares  to  them,  we  must  inspire 
them  with  the  courage  that  has  sustained  us,  and  with  the  in 
fusion  of  new  spirit  and  new  energy  and  new  aspiration  create 
a  new  epoch,  not  for  ourselves  but  for  the  people  for  whom  this 
Order  stands.  And  it  does  stand  for  the  people — the  greatest 
organiztion  among  the  Jews  known  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
spread  over  all  the  world,  conducted  by  its  representative  men,  it 
stands  for  the  Jew  and  for  Judaism.  And,  filled  with  that  con 
viction  can  you  wonder  that,  strong  man  as  I  am  and  well  bal 
anced  as  I  am,  for  that  quality  has  been  attributed  to  me,  that  I 
assume  the  position  of  your  leader  with  a  faltering  heart,  with  a 
faltering  tongue.  I  know  the  responsibility.  I  know  the  weight 
that  I  have  taken  upon  myself,  and  I  know  how  much  it  behooves 
me  and  you  to  invoke  the  aid  of  Almighty  God  and  the  loving 
and  loyal  co-operation  of  every  man  who  has  enlisted  under  the 
banner  of  the  B'nai  B'rith — not  because  it  will  do  him  good,  not 


l8  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL    VOLUME. 

because  it  will  glorify  him,  but  because  it  will  do  good  to  those 
that  need  good ;  because  the  voice  of  music  in  him  sings  in  good 
deeds — good  deeds  always  and  ever  and  at  whatever  sacrifice. 

I  will  accept  your  leadership  on  this  platform  and  with  that 
pledge  from  you,  and  I  will  carry  on  the  work  as  long  as  I  have 
the  power  to  do  so  and  the  capacity  to  do  so  and  the  opportunity 
to  do  so;  and  as  long  as  you  stand  by  me  in  that  work  I  pledge 
you  this — I  pledge  you  this — that  I  shall  watch  myself  even  more 
closely  than  I  do  you,  and  if  ever  there  comes  the  time  when  by 
reason  of  my  business  engagements,  of  physical  infirmity,  or 
whatever  it  may  be,  I  cannot  devote  to  this  work  what  it  de 
serves,  I  shall  demand  the  resignation  of  your  President. 

I  remember  one  of  the  most  impressive  incidents  in  the  his 
tory  of  Germany,  when  Field  Marshal  Von  Moltke  went  to  the 
Emperor  and  said:  "Sire,  I  tender  my  resignation.  I  can  no 
longer  mount  my  horse."  It  was  the  magnificent  spectacle  of  the 
soldier  and  the  patriot  who  set  duty  up  above  all  other  things. 
And  whenever  any  consideration  makes  it  impossible  for  me  to 
put  my  foot  in  the  stirrup  and  leap  into  the  saddle,  I  shall  follow 
his  example.  We  have  had  a  noble  exhibition  of  that  spirit  here 
today;  and  it  is  with  the  greatest  pleasure  that  I  advert  to  the 
great  services  and  the  long  services  which  we  have  enjoyed  at 
the  hands  of  him  who  now  retires  from  the  chief  executiveship 
of  this  Order,  with  all  the  glory  and  magnificence  of  the  setting 
sun.  (Great  applause.)  As  I  witnessed  the  scene  here  this  morn 
ing  and  thought  of  myself  as  the  successor  of  that  man  who  has 
laid  down  the  sceptre  of  power,  I  was  reminded  of  the  tree 
v/hich  grows  where  I  spent  most  of  the  years  of  my  life,  on  the 
shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico — the  salt  cedar — that  grows  best 
in  storm  and  stress  of  weather,  and  at  last,  when,  succumbing  to 
the  inroads  of  time  and  the  assaults  of  the  elements  it  bends  to  the 
earth  to  give  up  its  life,  there  shoots  from  its  side  as  it  reclines 
on  the  ground,  new  roots  from  which  springs  a  fresh  and  vigor 
ous  growth.  And  so,  sir  (addressing  Bro.  Bien),  I  say  to  you 
that  your  work  is  not  ended  with  your  retirement,  for  from  those 
works,  from  those  achievements  there  will  spring  a  growth  of 


ADDRESS  OF  ACCEPTANCE.  IQ 

vigorous  trees  that  will  arise  from  the  roots  that  you  have  plant 
ed.  (Great  applause.) 

Now,  my  friends,  I  thank  you  for  all  that  is  personal  in  this 
election — and  for  nothing  else.  I  do  not  consider  the  honor,  I 
consider  the  burden.  If  I  live  long  enough  to  meet  you  five  years 
from  now,  and  if  I  can  say  to  you  in  the  official  reports  and  war 
ranted  by  the  official  facts,  that  I  have  achieved  something,  I 
want  that  to  be  my  eulogy  and  nothing  else. 

I  thank  you.     (Great  applause.) 


THE  MODERN  DISPERSION. 

Address  delivered  at  Wilson  Street  Temple,  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
May  17,  1903,  by  Leo  N.  Levi,  during  the  convention  of  District 
Grand  Lodge  NO.  2,  I.  O.  B.  B. 

The  full  importance  of  contemporary  events  is  rarely  appre 
ciated.  History  remains  to  most  men  a  sealed  book  unless  it 
deals  with  the  remote  past.  The  rulers  and  teachers,  the  sages 
and  prophets,  are  those  who  are  able  to  measure  present  occur 
rences  in  the  light  of  the  past,  and  foresee  the  future  in  the  light 
of  both. 

Every  Jewish  child  knows  and  understands  the  story  of  the 
Exodus ;  of  the  Babylonian  captivity ;  of  the  Asmonean  wars ;  of 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem;  of  the  Diaspora;  of  the  expulsion 
from  Spain.  Each  of  these  epochs  furnishes  materials  for  a 
sublime  epic,  and  the  materials  have  been  freely  employed  by 
poets  and  minstrels. 

The  heroism  of  achievement  and  endurance,  so  prominent 
in  Jewish  history,  appeals  to  all  men  strongly,  to  the  Jews  irre 
sistibly.  At  some  time  in  the  life  of  every  manly  boy  he  has 
deplored  that  he  did  not  live  in  the  age  of  chivalry ;  that  he  was 
denied  the  triumphs  and  glories  of  knight-errantry.  The  manly 
Jew  at  all  times  envies  those  who  were  enabled  against  Egyptian, 
Babylonian,  Syrian,  Roman  or  Spaniard,  to  exhibit  in  action  or 
martyrdom  the  indestructible  spirit  of  his  race.  There  is  a  pe 
culiar  charm  about  past  occurrences.  They  come,  filtered,  to  us 
through  the  souls  of  historians,  poets,  artists  and  musicians. 
Their  odious  features  have  been  eliminated,  and  what  is  left  of 
fers  no  offense  to  the  aesthetic  or  artistic  sense. 

The  history  of  the  present  lacks  these  advantages.  It  has  not 
been  set  in  artistic  order.  It  has  not  been  freed  from  its  obnox 
ious  elements.  It  has  not  been  refined.  It  is  unsettled,  crude, 
nauseous;  full  of  grime,  dirt,  blood,  sweat  and  offal.  When  we 

20 


MODERN  DISPERSION.  21 

see  the  soldier  in  his  camp,  living  in  filth,  infested  by  vermin, 
violating  the  laws  of  health,  ignoring  in  speech  and  conduct  the 
precepts  of  morality,  made  coarse  and  growing  coarser  by  mV 
environment,  we  are  prone  to  call  him  a  degenerate.  We  con 
trast  him  with  the  heroic  men  who  fought  for  our  liberties  in  the 
romantic  ages  of  the  past.  But  the  heroes  of  the  past,  however 
they  appear  in  song  and  story,  were  in  their  day  like  unto  the 
unattractive  man  we  now  decry,  and  the  latter  in  times  to  come 
will  be  scoured  and  take  his  place  along  with  the  others  in  the 
chronicles  of  the  heroic  dead. 

It  is  not  only  a  canon  of  taste,  but  also  a  law  of  justice, 
which  makes  the  historian  deal  mainly  with  the  virtues  and  light 
ly  with  the  shortcomings  of  mankind.  To  err  is  human.  Sinful- 
ness,  if  not  inherent  and  original,  is  so  common  that  it  is  not  dis 
tinguishing.  It  is  always  in  evidence,  and  moves  along  an  easy 
downward  path.  Virtue,  on  the  other  hand,  while  abiding  in  ev 
ery  soul,  is  repressed  by  selfishness  and  must  ever  struggle  up 
ward  along  thorny  ways.  When  it  is  in  evidence,  it  is,  therefore, 
a  distinction.  In  the  final  judgment  of  men,  what  good  they  have 
done  and  what  evil  they  have  resisted  must  be  the  controlling 
considerations.  The  rewards  of  virtue  cannot  with  -justice  be 
withheld,  because  with  virtue  is  commingled  the  infirmities  com 
mon  to  mankind.  The  Pentateuch  has  doubtless  left  unchron- 
icled  many  sins  that  might  with  truth  be  imputed  to  its  great 
characters,  and  even  as  it  is,  of  none  of  its  notables  can  it  be 
said  he  was  faultless.  Yet  we  revere  and  love  them,  not  for  their 
faults,  but  in  spite  of  them ;  and  because,  in  their  lives,  if  virtue 
was  not  always  the  exclusive  possessor,  it  was  the  dominator. 

In  dealing  with  our  contemporaries  we  are  not  so  just.  We 
are  apt  to  magnify  the  faults  of  others  by  comparison  with  our 
own  virtues,  and  to  belittle  their  virtues  by  comparison  with 
our  own  imperfections.  Instead  of  employing  a  standard  by 
which  to  measure  them  and  ourselves  alike,  we  make  standards 
of  ourselves,  and  condemn  all  who  fall  short  of  or  go  beyond  it. 
This  infirmity  is  largely  responsible  for  the  failure  to  appreciate 
the  great  historical  crisis  through  which  the  Jews  are  now  pass 
ing,  and  the  duties  arising  therefrom. 


22  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

During  the  past  twenty-three  years  the  world,  without  un 
derstanding  it,  has  witnessed  a  radical  change  in  the  situation  of 
the  Jews.  It  is  still  in  progress,  and  will  doubtless  continue  to  be 
for  many  decades.  In  some  respects  it  is  similar  to  the  Exodus, 
but,  more  properly  speaking,  it  is  the  Modern  Dispersion. 

During  many  generations  the  majority  of  the  Jews  have 
dwelt  in  Russia,  Galicia,  Roumania  and  Hungary.  In  Russia 
and  Galicia  alone  their  number  reached  almost  to  five  millions. 
It  is  needless  to  dwell  on  their  condition.  The  story  is  well 
known.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  a  little  over  twenty  years  ago  the 
Jews  began  to  leave  these  countries  in  large  numbers,  and  that 
since  then  there  has  been  an  uninterrupted  flow  of  immigration 
to  the  Orient,  to  Western  Europe,  to  South  America,  and  last,  but 
not  least,  to  the  United  States. 

During  the  period  under  consideration  ten  per  centum  of 
the  Jews  of  the  world  forsook  their  native  homes  in  Eastern 
Europe  and  took  up  new  abodes  in  this  country.  At  the  present 
time  this  influx  to  the  United  States  equals  or  exceeds  annually 
one-half  of  one  per  cent  of  the  world's  total  Jewish  population. 
Add  to  this  number  those  who  settle  in  Western  Europe,  the 
Levant,  the  West  Indies,  Central  and  South  America,  South 
Africa  and  Canada,  and  we  can  readily  foretell  that  within  the 
first  half  of  the  twentieth  century  the  Jewish  center  of  gravity 
will  be  far  removed  from  Eastern  Europe.  Indeed,  since  the 
stream  to  the  United  States  grows  larger  with  the  passing  years, 
we  may  count  with  some  confidence  that  in  this  century  the  ma 
jority  of  the  world's  Jews  will  have  established  there  domicile 
here,  or  certainly  on  the  Western  Hemisphere.  The  migration 
from  Eastern  Europe  in  our  day  is  strikingly  like  the  migration 
from  Spain  at  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  except  that  in  the 
expulsion  from  Spain  not  over  three  per  cent  of  the  world's  Jews 
were,  while  now  considerably  more  than  one-half  are,  involved. 

In  short,  the  present  dispersion  has  all  of  the  tragic  and  ro 
mantic  features  of  the  Spanish  expulsion,  is  impelled  by  an  equal 
intolerance,  endured  with  equal  martyrdom,  but  exceeds  it  in 
interest  and  importance,  because  Spain  only  had,  at  most,  three 


MODERN  DISPERSION.  23 

hundred  thousand  Jews,  while  Eastern  Europe  is  driving  forth 
five  millions. 

The  effect  of  the  expulsion  from  Spain  need  not  be  more  than 
mentioned.  It  is  a  well  known  historical  fact.  What  is  important 
now  to  study  is  the  effect  of  the  immigration  now  in  progress. 
It  must  not  be  belittled  because  the  immigrants  are  poor,  igno 
rant,  superstitious,  narrow,  untidy,  or  otherwise  unattractive. 
The  Jews  who  fled  from  Egypt  were  infinitely  below  the  stan 
dard  of  these.  Those  who  were  driven  from  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans  were  not  superior  to  the  Jews  who  are  now  on  the 
march.  Even  the  Spanish  refugee,  around  whom  glows  the  halo 
of  romance,  had  the  shortcomings  of  mankind  in  full  measure. 
Nor  can  we  make  unfavorable  comparisons  by  weighing  the 
causes  of  the  various  migrations  now  under  consideration.  It 
may  be  conceded  that  the  Tsar  is  not  a  monster,  and  that  the 
Russians  are  not  consciously  unjust  to  the  Jews.  The  same  be 
conceded  to  the  King  of  Roumania  and  his  subjects.  It  may  be 
further  conceded  that  the  Jews  in  Russia  and  Roumania  are  un 
desirable,  and  even  obnoxious  from  a  view-point  which  we  do  not 
occupy,  and  which,  if  erroneous,  is  nevertheless  believed  to  be 
correct. 

Must  we  not  concede  as  much  to  Pharaoh,  to  Rome,  to  Spain  ? 
Even  as  we  know  the  past,  such  concessions  are  demanded,  and 
let  us  not  forget  that  we  know  the  past  only  from  view-points 
variant  from  or  opposite  to  those  of  the  Egyptians,  the  Romans 
and  the  Spaniards!  They  had  their  sides  in  the  argument,  just 
as  Russia  and  Roumania  now  have  theirs.  History  has  con 
demned  the  views  of  Egypt,  Rome  and  Spain.  It  will  doubtless 
condemn  Russia  and  Roumania.  Its  judgment  has  not  been  based 
in  the  former,  nor  will  it  be  in  the  present  cases,  upon  the  unim 
peachable  virtues  of  the  Jews  among  men,  but  simply  and  solely 
upon  the  fact  that  they  were  and  are  members  of  the  human 
family.  It  was  and  is  unjust  to  opfxress  them,  not  because  they 
were  or  are  better  than  their  oppressors,  but  because,  whatever 
their  failings,  they  are  human  beings,  and  as  such  entitled  to  hu 
mane  treatment.  Any  other  view  is  poetical,  sentimental  and 
romantic,  but  it  is  misleading  and  unjust. 


24  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

The  verdict  of  the  historian,  however,  need  not  trouble  us 
now.  Our  task  is  to  see  now  what  the  historian  will  easily  make 
out  when  time  gives  a  perspective  and  the  atmosphere  is  clear  of 
the  dust  and  smoke  of  the  conflict.  What  is  our  verdict?  And 
how  will  it  affect  our  conduct?  Such  questions  may  not  be  re 
garded  as  academic  by  any  one,  certainly  not  by  any  Jew.  To 
him,  wherever  he  dwells  and  whatever  his  condition,  these  ques 
tions  are  pressingly  practical.  What  is  his  view  of  the  modern 
Dispersion?  And  how  will  that  view  impel  him  to  act?  How 
will  the  American  Jew,  and  especially  the  well-to-do  and  culti 
vated  American  Jew,  respond  ? 

The  problem  is  not  a  little  complicated  by  prejudices  of  vari 
ous  kinds.  The  Jews  are  favorites  only  of  God.  Their  fellow- 
men,  for  one  reason  or  another,  or  no  reason  at  all,  refuse  to  en 
dorse  the  decree  of  Heaven,  which  has  singled  Israel  out  as  a 
peculiar  and  chosen  band.  Even  though  the  rejected  stone  has 
again  and  again  been  divinely  honored  as  the  chief  corner-stone, 
it  has  been  denied  recognition  by  man.  This  lack  of  atonement 
between  man  and  God  is,  however,  not  unique.  There  are  other 
differences  as  well. 

The  Jews  do  not  regard  anti-Semitism  with  contentment  or 
patience.  On  the  contrary,  they  resent  it  as  a  gross  injustice. 
But  they  have  grown  accustomed  to  it  and  meet  it  as  an  inevita 
ble  evil.  United  against  the  hostility  of  the  world,  the  Jews  draw 
comfort  from  one  another  and  the  splendid  heritage  left  by  their 
ancestors.  There  exist,  however,  prejudices  among  the  Jews 
themselves,  which  to  the  Gentile  at  least  must  appear  marvelous. 

These  prejudices  are  based  on  many  classifications  not  now 
necessary  to  be  considered.  The  one  classification  of  greatest  im 
portance  is  that  which  sets  on  one  side  the  Jews  of  Western  Eu 
rope  and  the  United  States,  variously  called  the  Reformed,  the 
Modern,  and  the  German  and  American  Jews,  and  on  the  other 
the  Jews  of  Russia,  Galicia,  Roumania  and  other  East  European 
countries,  variously  called  Russian,  Polish  or  Orthodox  Jews. 
For  convenience,  let  us  call  the  former  Western  and  the  latter 
Eastern  Jews. 

As  a  rule  the  Western  Jews  have  absorbed  Western  civiliza- 


MODERN   DISPERSION.  2$ 

tion,  and  bear  lightly  or  not  at  all  the  yoke  of  the  Torah.  As  a 
rule,  to  the  Eastern  Jews  Western  civilization  is  yet  unknown, 
and  they  adhere  to  the  same  religious  views  and  practices  which 
prevailed  centuries  ago.  The  Western  Jew  has  a  modern  educa 
tion,  and  speaks  with  facility  the  language  of  his  native  land ;  the 
Eastern  Jew's  education  is  largely  religious,  and  his  mother 
tongue  is  the  jargon  known  as  Yiddish.  The  points  of  difference 
between  the  Eastern  and  Western  Jews  a*re  numerous  and  im 
portant,  but  not  so  much  so  as  each  believes.  The  prejudices  of 
each  against  the  other  magnify  the  differences  and  the  faults 
which  each  ascribes  to  the  other  on  account  thereof. 

The  Western  Jew  treats  his  co-religionist  from  Eastern  Eu 
rope  as  an  inferior.  He  considers  him  ignorant,  superstitious, 
bigoted,  hypocritical,  cunning,  ungrateful,  quarrelsome,  unclean, 
and  in  many  other  ways  abominable. 

The  view  of  the  Western  Jew  is  superficial,  hasty  and  wholly 
unjust.  It  is  based  largely  upon  hearsay,  and  otherwise  upon 
loose  generalizations  made  from  very  limited  observations.  The 
Eastern  Jews  are  looked  upon  en  masse,  and  not  as  individuals. 
Each  is  considered  as  possessing  all  the  faults  charged  to  the 
class,  and  all  are  misjudged  by  the  failings  that  are  noticed  in  a 
few  individuals.  Those  who  like  the  Eastern  Jews  least,  know 
them  least ;  their  Best  friends  are  those  who  know  them  well. 

It  is  not  proposed  to  claim  extraordinary  virtues  for  the 
Eastern  Jews.  They  are  human,  and  have  the  vices  as  well  as 
the  good  qualities  of  the  human  family.  Among  them  are  exem 
plars  of  the  highest  and  lowest  elements  of  the  human  make-up. 
A  close  study  of  them  begets  always  a  forecast  of  a  noble  future. 
Of  their  status  at  present  it  would  be  well  for  those  who  know 
them  only  by  hearsay  to  remember  the  quaint  old  admonition: 
"Let  the  greater  part  of  what  thou  hearest  be  the  least  pa*rt  of 
what  thou  believest,  lest  the  greater  part  of  what  thou  believest 
be  the  least  part  of  what  is  true." 

In  the  eyes  of  the  Eastern  Jew  the  Western  Jew  is  a  cad.  His 
education  is  superficial  and  flashy;  his  philanthropy  ostentatious 
and  insincere;  his  manners  a  cheap  imitation  of  the  Gentiles, 
upon  whom  he  fawns;  his  religion  a  miserable  compromise,  in 


26  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL    VOLUME. 

which  appearances  count  for  everything;  his  assumption  of  su 
periority  another  proof  that  "every  ass  thinks  himself  fit  to  stand 
among  the  king's  horses." 

The  Western  Jew  as  a  rule,  because  of  his  prejudices,  re 
mains  indifferent  or  hostile  to  the  great  migration  to  which  I 
have  adverted.  The  Eastern  Jew,  on  the  other  hand,  defiantly 
stands  on  his  inherent  rights,  and  jeeringly  foretells  the  decadence 
of  his  traducers,  just  as  the  Sephardim  passed  out  before  the  in 
rush  of  the  ancestors  of  the  present  Jewish  aristocracy. 

The  Eastern  Jew  is  superficial,  hasty  and  unjust  in  his  views. 
He  is  guilty  of  the  same  errors  that  he  complains  of  in  the 
Western  Jew.  He  takes  counsel  of  his  passions,  and  refuses  to 
see  the  good  qualities  of  those  who  are  serving  while  they  anger 
him. 

Thoughtful  men  among  both  classes  deplore  these  differences 
and  seek  to  remove  them.  However  great  the  differences,  they 
are  small  by  comparison  with  the  similarities.  No  Jew  can  es 
cape  his  inheritance,  even  if  he  would.  All  Jews  are  brethren, 
whether  or  not  they  like  the  fact  or  one  another.  Cain  was 
Abel's  brother,  though  he  slew  him. 

This  fraternity,  moreover,  is  always  in  evidence.  If  the  poor 
Eastern  Jew  is  murdered  in  Bessarabia,  the  daintiest  Western 
Jew  makes  an  outcry  of  horror.  If  an  aristocratic  Western  Jew 
is  made  a  martyr  on  Devil's  Island,  the  most  intense  Eastern  Jew 
groans  in  sympathy. 

In  some  way  the  blood  relationship  always  asserts  itself.  The 
Jews  may  hate,  despise,  contemn  and  abuse  one  another,  but  let 
an  outsider  take  up  the  same  cue  and  the  brotherhood  engenders 
harmony.  Perhaps  this  is  rather  humane  than  Jewish.  At  all 
events,  the  Jews  throughout  their  history  have  been  famous  for 
their  family  quarrels,  which  were  composed  when  outsiders  at 
tacked  the  family.  The  present  differences  will  be  composed,  as 
have  all  others  in  the  past,  but  is  it  necessary  to  wait  for  time  or 
a  common  peril  to  establish  the  mutual  consideration,  respect  and 
affection  that  should  of  right  obtain?  Shall  we  not  profit  by  ex 
perience  and  study?  Shall  foolish  passions  aggravate  evils  which 
wise  thought  can  remove? 


MODERN   DISPERSION.  27 

The  circumference  and  diameter  of  the  universe  are  unknown 
quantities,  but  each  man  has  its  center  fixed  in  himself.  The  ego 
ism  to  which  this  is  due  is  neither  altogether  bad  or  good.  It  is 
a  mixed  composite  of  evil  and  virtue.  To  the  extent  that  it  dig 
nifies  the  individual  and  makes  him  a  conservator  of  his  own  wel 
fare,  it  is  a  blessing.  On  the  other  hand  because  of  it  the  indi 
vidual  is  apt  to  make  too  much  of  himself  and  too  little  of  others. 
When  a  man  establishes  and  maintains  in  his  thought  and  con 
duct  the  proper  relation  between  himself  and  the  rest  of  the 
world,  he  is  always  good  and  often  great.  Few  attain  this,  but  it 
is  true  that  many  seek  it.  To  these  it  is  helpful  to  consider  and 
discuss  at  frequent  intervals  the  privileges  and  duties  of  life,  so 
that  not  only  may  general  principles  be  preserved,  but  the  correct 
application  thereof  made  to  the  details  of  life. 

The  Eastern  Jew,  which  term  includes  both  foreigners  and 
their  immediate  descendants,  must  learn  that  he  is  not  a  law 
unto  himself;  that  he  is  a  part  of  a  larger  community;  that  his 
situation  affects  others  besides  himself;  that  these  others  have 
a  dght  to  study  and  aid  in  solving  his  problems ;  that  it  is  il 
logical  and  ungrateful  to  accept  material  aid  while  resenting 
friendly  interest  and  counsel;  that  Western  Jews  are  not  apos 
tates  because  they  are  not  observers  of  the  Schulcan  Aruch ;  that 
the  prejudices  which  he  resents  are  nourished  by  the  prejudices 
which  he  himself  indulges  in.  The  inevitable  and  irresistible  ten 
dency  of  his  children  is  toward  Occidentalism,  and  unless  he  cul 
tivates  harmony  and  sympathy  with  the  Western  Jew,  he  must 
stand  on  the  brink  of  an  ever-widening  chasm  between  himself 
and  his  own  offspring.  It  is  well  enough  to  hate  what  is  evil  in 
his  Western  brothers,  but  he  must  not  hate  them.  Hate  begets 
hate,  just  as  love  begets  love.  In  the  war  of  angry  passion  the 
Eastern  Jew  may  indeed  triumph  through  the  force  of  over 
whelming  numbers,  but  such  a  victory  would  be  more  disastrous 
than  a  defeat.  There  should  be  no  triumph  of  what  is  peculiar 
to  either  class,  for  the  peculiarities  are  seldom  good ;  the  victory 
should  be  for  the  humanity  which  is  common  to  both. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  a  respectable  proportion  of  West 
ern  Jews  are  deeply  moved  by  the  Modern  Dispersion,  and  testify 


28  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

by  innumerable  sacrifices  that  they  understand  and  are  perform 
ing  the  duties  which  it  imposes  on  them.  Unfortunately,  how 
ever,  there  yet  remain  many  who,  either  because  of  ignorance  or 
injustice,  look  with  cold  indifference  or  hot  hostility  upon  the  ar 
rival  of  their  suffering  co-religionists.  This  is  true  even  in  the 
United  States,  where  it  might  be  expected  that  American  birth, 
American  training  and  American  ideals  would  engender  extra 
ordinary  tenderness  towards  brethren  who  suffer  martyrdom  for 
conscience's  sake. 

Every  American  Jew  should  read  or  re-read  of  the  expulsion 
from  Spain  as  told  in  the  history  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  by 
the  American  historian  Prescott.  There  he  will  find  almost  the 
same  conditions  which  now  prevail.  Under  Ferdinand  and  Isa 
bella  the  Jews  were  denounced  for  the  same  faults  and  crimes 
now  laid  at  their  doors  in  Eastern  Europe.  They  were  charged 
with  being  parasites,  usurers,  non-producers;  with  being  osten 
tatious,  gaudy  and  vulgar,  and  above  all,  with  murdering  Chris 
tians  to  obtain  their  blood  for  the  Passover  bread.  When  they 
were  forced  to  leave  Spain  on  the  fateful  ninth  of  Ab,  in  1492, 
they  were  impoverished,  and  they  carried  to  other  lands,  and 
especially  to  Italy,  not  only  their  poverty,  but  the  plague,  which 
was  produced  by  their  pitiable  sufferings.  Wherever  they  went, 
for  a  time  at  least  they  proved  a  burrden,  if  not  a  positive  injury, 
to  the  native  Jews. 

This  expulsion  was  not  only  defended  by  the  Spaniards  of 
the  fifteenth  century,  but  also  by  the  writers  of  other  Christian 
countries.  Indeed,  during  the  succeeding  centuries,  the  terrible 
tragedy  which  involved  so  many  lives  and  entailed  so  much  mis 
ery  has  been  cited  as  evidence  of  Spanish  piety  and  the  just  pun 
ishment  which  is  visited  upon  the  miserable  Jew. 

Three  hundred  thousand  persons,  according  to  Graetz — fewer 
than  two  hundred  thousand  according  to  Prescott — were  driven 
out  of  Spain.  More  than  four  centuries  have  passed  since  that 
awful  occurrence,  and  yet  the  horror  of  it  grows  instead  of  pass 
ing  away.  Who  would  dare  in  this  country  at  least  to  say  a 
word  in  defense  of  Spain's  intolerance,  or  utter  aught  but  sym 
pathy  for  her  victims?  And  yet  the  Jews  being  driven  from 


MODERN  DISPERSION.  2Q 

Roumania  are  as  many  as  were  in  Spain ;  those  who  have  fled 
from  Russia  and  Galicia  to  the  United  States  in  twenty  years 
more  than  double  the  number  of  the  Spanish  Jews. 

Who  can  find  fault  with  the  Spanish  Jews  who  brought  the 
plague  to  Genoa,  whither  they  fled?  In  many  European  cities 
in  which  the  refugees  sought  an  asylum  were  Jews  whose  position 
was  assured  until  the  refugees  placed  it  in  jeopardy.  Were 
these  few  established  Jews  of  more  account  than  the  refugees? 
Were  they  entitled  to  immunity  from  the  real  or  fancied  dan 
gers  due  to  the  dispersion  of  the  Spanish  Jews?  What  were 
their  rights  and  duties?  The  same  question  demands  an  an 
swer  now  at  the  hands  of  the  American  Jew. 

It  is  contended  by  some  that  the  American  Jews  had  won 
a  proud  station  in  this  country  before  the  dispersion  began; 
that  politically,  socially  and  economically  they  were  prosperous, 
and  highly  respected;  that  the  Eastern  Jews  have  endangered 
the  prestige  previously  enjoyed;  that  they  have  driven  the 
American  Jews  out  of  certain  lines  of  business  and  threaten 
to  monopolize  many  others;  that  they  congest  our  seaboard 
cities,  and,  finally,  that  they  in  many  ways  bring  odium  to  the 
Jewish  name. 

If  all  this  were  true,  what  then?  Does  it  justify  the  perse 
cutions  here  which  are  denounced  when  practiced  in  Eastern 
Europe?  Does  it  justify  hostility  to  a  people  who  seek  an  asy 
lum  in  the  land  which  is  great  because  it  has  been  from  the 
beginning  the  refuge  of  the  oppressed?  Whatever  may  be  said, 
truly  or  falsely,  about  the  Eastern  Jews,  we  must  find  outr 
proper  relation  to  the  problem  they  present.  The  American 
people  as  a  whole  has  taken  its  stand  on  the  broad  platform  of 
sympathy  and  humanity.  The  American  Jew  who  in  this  crisis 
is  less  humane  and  sympathetic  than  the  whole  American  people 
is  neither  a  good  American  nor  a  good  Jew. 

If  it  were  necessary  to  choose  between  the  welfare  of  the 
one  million  Jews  in  this  country  and  the  millions  who  must 
ultimately  come  here,  justice  would  turn  to  the  greater  number. 
The  millions  are  on  the  march.  The  dispersion  is  on  in  full 
force.  No  power  on  earth  can  stop  it.  Potentates  and  legions 


3O  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

are  powerless  to  stem  the  tide.  The  few  Jews  who  selfishly 
deplore  the  immigration  to  this  country  may  as  well  resign 
themselves  to  the  inevitable  first  as  last.  The  current  of  the 
Mississippi  cannot  be  reversed  by  imprecations  or  the  onrush 
of  Niagara  stopped  by  making  faces  at  it. 

It  is,  however,  a  grievous  error  to  spell  danger  or  misfor 
tune  to  the  Western  Jews  from  the  dispersion  of  the  Eastern 
Jews.  If  the  former  have  in  the  course  of  generations  thrown 
off  many  useless  impediments,  they  have  suffered  along  with 
them  the  loss  of  many  family  jewels.  The  idealism,  the  poetry, 
the  ascetic  virtues,  the  family  sanctity,  the  religious  fervor, 
which  were  formerly  so  accentuated  in  Jewish  life,  have  been 
in  a  measure  lost  in  the  process  which  eliminated  certain  Orient 
alisms  that  are  found  and  decried  in  the  contemporary  Eastern 
Jews.  The  American  Jews  will  profit  by  contact  with  the  re 
positories  of  ancient  Jewish  virtues.  For  this  advantage  they 
can  make  an  adequate  return  by  aiding  the  newcomer  to  throw 
aside  the  faults  which  the  Western  Jew  has  gotten  rid  of.  The 
two  classes  must  be  complementary.  Each  has  its  faults  ^and  its 
virtues.  If  folly  prevails  the  virtues  of  neither  will  survive;  if 
wisdom  governs,  the  contact  of  the  classes  will  minimize  the 
worst  qualities  of  each  and  start  from  the  Modern  Dispersion  a 
chapter  in  Jewish  history  as  glorious  as  any  that  precedes  it. 
And  this  wisdom  is  to  the  fore.  Broad  men  in  both  classes  are 
assuming  the  leadership.  The  gospel  of  discord  and  hate  is 
giving  way  to  the  gospel  of  harmony  and  love.  The  monger  of 
sneers  and  denunciations  has  had  his  day.  The  forces  of  destruc 
tion  are  spent  and  those  of  construction  are  growing.  The  con 
temned  beggar  of  twenty  years  ago  is  the  man  of  affairs  to-day ; 
the  beggar  of  to-day  will  be  a  man  of  substance  in  the  near 
future.  The  arrogant  and  shallow  minded  inheritor  of  his  fath 
er's  wealth  without  his  father's  thrift  will  pass  out  with  the 
wealth  he  has  not  the  wit  to  preserve.  There  will  be  a  com 
mingling  of  the  classes  to  make  a  stronger  and  better  class.  It 
is  manifest  destiny. 

The  duty  to  promote  the  betterment  of  both  so  that  the  in 
evitable  end  may  be  better,  surer  and  sooner  is  obvious.  History 


MODERN   DISPERSION.  3! 

is  being  made  at  a  tremendous  pace,  and  it  is  being  written  while 
it  is  being  made.  In  a  few  years  we  shall  see  on  this  continent 
a  re-born,  rehabilitated,  virile,  powerful  Jewry,  enriching  the 
world  with  its  virtues,  its  energies  and  its  genius.  Those  who 
contribute  to  the  chronicle  which  is  being  made  up  will  in  their 
own  lives  and  in  those  of  their  children  gather  fruits  from  the 
seeds  they  have  planted.  Those  who  remain  deaf  to  the  call 
of  duty,  who  do  not  rise  to  the  standard  of  their  country  and 
their  race,  must  inevitably  forfeit  the  respect  of  their  fellow- 
men  at  large  as  well  as  the  social,  political  and  economic  rewards 
which  now  quicken  in  the  womb  of  the  future  for  the  Jews. 

The  Modern  Dispersion  means  on  this  hemisphere  the  re 
generated  Jews  in  whom  shall  be  united  what  is  best  among  the 
dispersed,  and  from  whose  numbers  will  be  eliminated  the  weak 
lings,  the  degenerates  and  the  unfaithful. 


ADDRESS   DELIVERED   AT   THE    NATIONAL 

CONFERENCE  OF  JEWISH  CHARITIES, 

HELD    AT    DETROIT,    MICH., 

MARCH,  1902. 

Mr.  President,  in  a  circular  which  I  had  sent  forth  a  year 
ago  in  my  official  capacity  as  the  Chairman  of  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith,  and  in 
which  circular  I  dealt  with  what  is  known  as  the  removal  work 
of  Roumanian  immigrants  and  the  dwellers  in  the  Ghetto  of 
New  York,  I  employed  a  sentence  which  I  beg  to  read  now  as 
the  text  of  what  I  am  about  to  say:  "The  Jew  must  be  taught 
that  no  era  in  Jewish  history  exceeds  the  present  in  importance 
and  solemnity,  and  that  to  play  a  proper  role  therein  is  a  high' 
privilege  and  a  higher  duty;  that  it  is  the  concern  of  each  Jew 
to  rescue  his  brethren  from  poverty,  disease  and  death,  and, 
above  all,  to  give  to  their  boys  the  chance  to  become  honest  men, 
and  their  girls  the  sacred  right  to  remain  pure." 

I  realize  that  I  am  addressing  an  audience  composed  not  of 
the  rank  and  file,  but  of  the  leaders  of  communal  Jewish  activity 
in  the  United  States,  and  that  my  auditors  are  familiar  with  the 
larger  outlines  of  every  Jewish  question  which  challenges  the 
attention  of  Jewish  minds,  and  therefore  I  shall  not  go  into  the 
details  in  presenting  thoughts  that  I  wish  to  convey  to  you,  and 
the  first  idea  is  to  impress  upon  you  the  fact  that  this  is  a  great 
historical  era  in  Jewish  affairs.  We  all  know,  from  the  teach 
ings  of  our  childhood,  how  great  an  event  was  the  Exodus  of 
the  Jews  from  Egypt.  We  know  that  a  civilization  worthy  of  the 
name  is  broadly  based  upon  that  great  event  so  full  of  glory  and 
of  gloom.  Now  if  you  will  reflect  for  a  moment  upon  the  many 
thousands  of  Jews  who  left  Egypt  for  the  Holy  Land,  and  if 
you  will  reflect  that  in  the  nature  of  things  these  Jews,  while 
living  in  Egypt  were  not  confined  within  any  one  locality,  you 
must  realize  that  the  preparation  at  least  for  the  emigration,  if 
v  32 


ADDRESS  TO  UNITED  JEWISH  CHARITIES.  & 

not  the  emigration  itself,  was  not  instantaneous.  It  must  have 
proceeded  over  a  considerable  portion  of  time,  and  a  very  distinct 
parallel  can  be  drawn  between  that  exodus  and  subsequent  migra 
tions  of  the  Jews  under  the  stress  of  persecution. 

If  we  come  to  the  great  event  in  the  history  of  the  Jews  and 
observe  their  expulsion  from  Spain  at  the  end  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  we  must  again  realize,  if  we  think  of  the  subject,  that 
that  expulsion  proceeded  over  a  considerable  duration  of  time. 
I  know  that  until  my  mind  was  specially  directed  to  it,  I  had  a 
vague  and  nebulous  idea  that  the  edict  went  forth  that  the  Jews 
should  leave  Spain,  and  that  between  sunrise  and  sunset  Spain 
was  rid  of  her  Jews ;  but  when  I  come  to  think  that,  with  all  the 
facilities  we  have  for  moving  the  people  across  the  Atlantic  in 
this  advanced  era,  it  is  a  great  achievement  to  move  100,000 
people  from  America  to  Europe  during  the  summer,  and  when 
I  reflect  how  imperfect  were  the  facilities  for  transportation  at 
the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  I  must  know,  even  without  con 
sulting  passages  of  history,  that  the  many  thousands  of  Jews 
in  Spain,  many  of  whom  were  compelled  to  seek  foreign  parts, 
could  not  have  abandoned  their  native  country  except  after  the 
lapse  of  considerable  time. 

Now  I  mention  this  fact  because  I  wish  to  impress  upon  you 
how  strong  is  the  parallel  between  the  exodus  in  ancient  history 
and  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  in  the  middle  ages,  or  at  the  end 
of  the  middle  ages,  and  the  great  movement  which  began  some 
thing  over  twenty  years  ago  from  Southeastern  Europe  towards 
the  Western  Hemisphere. 

The  movement  has  been  continuous.  It  has  been  more  acute 
at  some  periods  than  at  others,  but  it  has  been  a  steady  stream  of 
Jews  moving  from  Southeastern  Europe  to  the  western  hemi 
sphere,  and  mainly  to  the  United  States  of  America,  and  no  one 
can  tell  you  when  that  stream  will  be  stopped  unless  the  source  is 
exhausted.  Now  it  is  no  light  thing  in  the  history  of  so  impor 
tant  a  people  as  the  Jews,  to  contemplate  the  complete  transfer 
ence  of  the  balance  of  population  from  one  hemisphere  to  an 
other.  And  when  you  reflect  that  the  influx  of  Jews  during  the 
past  21  or  22  years  to  this  country  has  been  at  the  rate  of  50,000 


34  LE0    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

per  annum,  and  that  the  total  Jewish  population  of  the  world  is 
variously  estimated  at  from  eight  to  eleven  million,  it  is  easy  to 
understand  that  there  may  be  people  within  the  sound  of  my 
voice  at  this  moment  who  will  live  to  see  the  majority  of  the 
Jews  of  the  world  at  home  in  the  United  States  of  America. 
So  I  think  that  when  these  plain  facts  are  before  you,  it  is  easy 
to  assent  to  my  initial  proposition  that  we  are  in  the  midst  of  a 
great  Jewish  historical  era. 

Now  we  have  our  emotions  aroused,  we  have  our  indignation 
aroused,  we  are  driven  to  horror  when  we  read  or  hear  of  the 
persecutions  of  the  Jews  in  Egypt  and  their  exodus  from  that 
land,  and  of  the  terrible  edict  which  went  forth  under  the  reign 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  which  drove  the  Jews  to  flee  to 
poverty,  and  alas !  in  many  instances,  to  suicide  as  an  alternative 
to  dishonor.  But  we  remain  indifferent  to  the  great  historical 
movement  that  is  going  on  in  our  own  day — that  stream  which 
passes  by  our  own  door,  the  suffering  which  appeals  to  us  by  im 
mediate  contact  with  us.  I  have  tried  to  understand  why  it  is 
that  so  many  people  can  have  sentiments  of  pity  and  horror 
aroused  by  the  far-off  suffering  Jews  in  Egypt  and  Spain,  and 
yet  turn  with  loathing  and  disgust  from  the  suffering  that  now 
confronts  us.  And  my  analysis  is  this: 

Poverty  and  suffering  are  always  loathsome,  and  history  and 
art  and  literature  abhor,  eschew  and  avoid  features  of  that  kind. 
So  that  when  the  historian  or  writer  sets  down  for  the  contem 
plation  of  the  artist,  those  things  which  occurred  in  Egypt  or  in 
Spain,  he  addresses  himself  to  the  work  of  the  romantic  and  the 
beautiful  and  attractive  side  of  the  picture,  even  making  suffer 
ing  attractive;  but  when  we  are  confronted  with  horror  and 
with  disease,  with  the  terrors  of  persecution,  when  we  are  com 
pelled  to  look  at  it  with  our  eyes,  and  not  through  the  eyes  of 
the  artist  and  poet,  the  seams,  the  faults,  the  patches  and  sores 
obtrude  themselves  upon  us,  and  what  is  on  the  surface  claims 
more  attention  than  what  is  beneath. 

Now  I  ought  not  to  be  required  to  do  more  than  to  touch 
upon  this  point  to  these  leaders  of  charity  work,  and  I  touch 
upon  it  because  I  hope  you  will  teach  those  who  come  within 


ADDRESS  TO  UNITED  JEWISH  CHARITIES.  35 

the  sphere  of  your  influence  the  importance  of  this  truth,  that 
in  dealing  with  charity  and  philanthropic  problems,  we  must 
learn  to  look  with  an  unflinching  eye  on  those  features,  which 
are  repulsive,  because  in  the  absence  of  the  repulsive  feature 
there  is  no  adequate  challenge  for  philanthropic  work.  Now, 
I  have  heard  much  in  the  course  of  my  experience  about  meas 
ures  of  one  kind  or  another  to  stop  this  influx  of  people  from 
Europe  to  the  United  States.  Now  and  then  some  one  introduces 
a  bill  in  Congress  or  writes  an  article  in  the  magazine  or  news 
paper,  and  suggests  a  remedy  for  what  seems  to  be  an  evil,  and 
whenever  that  problem  has  come  to  nae  for  consideration,  I  have 
solved  it,  at  least  to  my  own  satisfaction,  if  not  to  any  one's  else, 
by  this  fact  gleaned  from  the  teachings  of  history,  that  wherever 
a  people  as  such  has  been  impelled  by  social  economy  or  religious 
consideration  to  move  from  the  home  of  their  nativity,  en  masse, 
to  some  other  part  of  the  globe,  there  is  no  power  under  the 
sun  that  can  stop  them.  There  are  no  laws  that  can  be  put  on 
the  statute  book,  nor  armies  that  can  be  marshalled  on  the 
frontiers,  that  will  stop  a  people,  who  are  driven  by  a  force  from 
the  rear  greater  than  any  resisting  force  that  can  be  put  in 
front;  and  when  a  people  are  threatened  with  starvation  at 
home,  when  they  are  deprived  of  the  means  of  making  a  liveli 
hood,  when  they  are  denied  the  right  to  rear  their  children  with 
the  rudiments  of  even  a  common  school  education,  when  they 
are  forbidden  by  restrictive  legislation  and  a  hostile  environment 
from  making  honorable  men  of  their  sons  and  pure  women  of 
their  daughters,  you  can  put  no  barriers  in  their  pathway  that  will 
stop  them  from  going  elsewhere.  That,  I  believe,  is  one  of  God's 
dispensations,  and  it  goes  beyond  the  power  of  man  to  set  it  aside. 
(Applause.)  So  that  I  think  we  may  just  as  well  settle  down  to 
the  conviction  that  as  long  as  the  countries  in  Southeastern 
Europe,  or  anywhere  else,  persecute  the  Jews  because  they  are 
Jews,  deny  them  the  right  to  make  a  living  because  they  are 
Jews,  those  Jews  are  going  to  move  out  of  the  country  in  which 
they  were  born,  because  they  are  commanded  to  do  so  by  cir 
cumstances.  And  as  President  Harrison  said  in  his  second 
message  (certainly  one  of  his  messages)  to  the  country:  "When- 


36  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

ever  a  country,  by  its  treatment  of  a  people,  or  by  its  laws, 
commands  them  to  step  out  of  that  country,  they  give  them  a 
command  to  step  into  some  other  country."  The  command  seems 
to  have  been  interpreted  in  Roumania  and  in  Galicia  when  they 
are  ordered  out  of  their  country  that  they  should  step  into  the 
United  States.  They  have  been  coming  here  for  20  odd  years. 
Their  coming  has  been  looked  upon  with  fear  and  trembling, 
but  they  have  come  nevertheless.  Those  who  predicted  untold 
disasters  20  years  ago  because  of  the  influx  of  the  Russian 
Jews  have  been  refuted  by  the  developments  of  the  last  two 
decades,  because  the  refugees  of  20  years  ago  are  the  artisans 
and  manufacturers  and  the  merchants  and  the  bone  and  sinew 
of  the  Jewish  part  of  this  country  today.  (Applause.) 

And  let  me  tell  you  another  thing,  my  friends,  even  you  who 
are  disposed  to  turn  up  your  noses  at  the  Russian  Jew  and  the 
Galician  Jew  and  the  Roumanian  Jew,  that  just  as  certainly  as 
the  children  of  the  Portuguese  Jews  in  the  middle  of  the  iQth 
century  were  destined  to  meet  with  the  descendants  of  the  Ger 
man  Jews  who  came  over  in  the  middle  of  the  century,  just  so 
certain  it  is  that  the  sons  of  these  derided  Russian  and  Rou 
manian  and  Galician  Jews  will  meet  with  your  daughters,  and 
your  sons  will  meet  with  their  daughters. 

Now  they  are  coming.  Where  do  they  come?  They  come 
to  New  York.  The  great  steamship  lines  that  are  engaged  in 
transportation  are  nearly  all  centered  at  New  York  as  a  port  of 
entry.  The  statistics  show  that  of  a  million  who  came  to  this 
country  in  20  years,  probably  90  per  cent  came  into  the  port  of 
New  York.  The  statistics  also  show  that  over  60  per  cent  of 
those  who  arrive  remain  in  New  York,  certainly  in  the  first 
instance.  Now  what  becomes  of  them  in  New  York?  It  was 
said  here  this  morning  by  a  very  interesting  representative  from 
Kansas  City  that  these  people  who  go  out  from  New  York 
think  so  much  of  us  in  New  York  that  they  want  to  get 
back.  Now  that  strikes  me  as  humorous,  but  it  is  tragic. 
It  is  worthy  of  your  consideration.  If  you  had  an  opportunity 
to  see  the  conditions  in  New  York,  you  would  understand  why 
it  is  that  they  want  to  get  back.  The  so-called  Ghetto  of  New 


ADDRESS  TO  UNITED  JEWISH  CHARITIES.  37 

York,  bounded  on  the  north  by  Houston  Street,  on  the  west  by 
the  Bowery,  and  running  southward  and  eastward  to  the  river, 
contains  as  many  Jews  as  Detroit  contains  people.  The  whole 
city  of  Detroit,  if  crowded  into  that  little  section,  would  displace 
a  similar  number  of  Jews  who  have  come  to  this  country  from 
Southeastern  Europe  in  the  last  20  years,  and  their  descendants. 
And  that  is  a  very  small  territory.  There  are  thousands,  yea, 
tens  of  thousands  of  citizens  in  the  city  of  New  York,  a  good 
many  of  them  Jews,  who  have  never  set  foot  in  that  territory. 
Just  think  of  dumping  the  whole  city  of  Detroit  down  into  the 
city  of  New  York,  and  a  large  proportion  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  not  knowing  it  was  there, — but  that  is  the  fact.  It  is  a 
region  almost  unknown  to  a  very  large  portion  of  the  population 
of  New  York,  and,  of  course,  it  goes  without  saying,  unknown 
to  those  who  do  not  live  in  that  vicinity.  In  that  region  the 
language  that  is  spoken  is  the  traditional  Yiddish  of  the  Jews. 
In  the  stores,  the  articles  they  were  accustomed  to  purchase  in 
the  land  of  their  nativity  are  offered  for  sale.  The  signs  are 
written  in  their  own  language  in  the  Hebrew  character.  The 
cafes  and  places  of  amusement,  the  theater  hall,  the  dance  hall, 
everything  is  there  which  they  were  accustomed  to,  and  what 
ever  their  tastes,  whether  good  or  evil,  demand,  is  purveyed  for 
their  gratification.  They  think  in  their  own  language;  they  can 
worship  there  according  to  the  rituals  they  are  accustomed  to; 
their  atmosphere  is  one  which  they  are  acquainted  with,  and  all 
other  atmospheres  are  foreign  to  them.  Now  if  you  take  any 
one  of  this  audience  and  suddenly  transport  him  to  a  foreign 
land,  if  there  be  a  group  of  Americans  in  any  one  portion  of 
that  foreign  country,  it  would  be  perfectly  natural  for  you  and 
me  to  gravitate  to  that  little  colony.  And  we  would  not  like 
to  get  out  into  the  interior  of  the  country  where  we  did  not  know 
the  language  of  the  country,  the  geography  of  the  country,  the 
habits  of  the  people ;  where  no  one  could  understand  us,  and  we 
could  understand  no  one.  A  feeling  of  homesickness  would  over 
come  us,  our  hearts  would  become  terrified,  and  if  that  would 
be  true  of  us  who  are  presumed  to  have  at  least  some  under 
standing  of  the  configuration  of  this  globe  and  of  the  difference 


38  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

in  nationalities  and  habits  and  customs  of  peoples,  how  much 
more  so  must  that  be  true  of  a  class  of  people  whose  whole  world 
had  no  larger  horizon  than  the  little  town  in  which  they  were 
born  and  raised  in  some  obscure  part  of  Southeastern  Europe? 
For  them  to  come  to  America  means  for  them  to  come  to  New 
York.  They  have  an  idea  that  what  lies  beyond  the  limits  of 
New  York  is  a  wilderness;  that  once  they  get  away  from  the 
Ghetto  they  lose  the  friends  they  were  accustomed  to;  that  if 
sickness,  trouble  or  death  comes  they  have  no  one  to  turn  to. 
If  they  are  religiously  inclined — and  the  Russian  Jews  are — 
they  have  no  place  in  which  they  can  worship  in  harmony  'out 
side  of  the  Ghetto.  And  so  they  cling  there  tenaciously,  even  to 
the  brink  of  starvation  rather  than  to  go  out  into  a  wilderness 
or  to  give  up  that  which  is  so  precious  to  them.  But  the  limit 
has  been  reached.  It  was  reached  long  ago.  You  have  heard 
papers  here  on  the  subject  of  tuberculosis,  mentioned  by  the 
President  in  his  message  also.  You  will  hear  others  dealing 
with  conditions  in  the  New  York  Ghetto.  Some  of  the  speakers 
and  some  of  those  who  have  written  papers  have  toyed  with  the 
fringes  of  the  garment  so  to  speak.  Perhaps  none  of  them  are 
qualified  to  deal  adequately  with  the  subject.  If  there  be  any 
one  here  who  is  so  qualified,  and  who  should  discharge  the  duty 
of  acquainting  the  public  with  it,  you  would  have  no  time  to 
listen  to  anything  else.  But  let  me  tell  you,  and  I  will  call 
witnesses  to  prove  the  proposition,  that  no  man,  however  intel 
ligent  or  industrious  in  his  reading  and  his  research,  can  form 
the  remotest  idea  of  the  conditions  prevailing  in  the  lower  portion 
of  New  York,  unless  he  goes  there  and  makes  personal  inspec 
tion.  Now  I  can  not  deal  with  these  conditions  today  because 
time  does  not  permit,  but  I  can  give  you  a  few  side  lights.  I 
want  to  tell  you  just  one  little  instance.  At  n  o'clock  at  night 
I,  together  with  some  companions,  sat  in  a  famous  cafe  on  Canal 
Street,  and  while  we  were  drinking  the  Russian  tea,  I  heard  a 
flutter  at  my  elbow,  and  turned  around,  and  there  discovered 
a  little  girl  about  13  years  of  age  with  a  head  of  hair  that  would 
be  worth  a  fortune  to  a  painter,  with  eyes  that  were  tinged  with 
melancholy  and  a  face  of  perfect  and  pitiful  beauty,  and  she 


ADDRESS  TO  UNITED  JEWISH  CHARITIES.  39 

had  under  her  arm  a  bundle  of  Yiddish  newspapers,  which  she 
was  peddling  out  at  a  penny  apiece  at  1 1  o'clock  at  night.    When 

she  was  interrogated,  she  informed  us  that  her  name  was  L ; 

she  went  to  school  until  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  then 
immediately,  after  getting  a  crust  of  bread  and  a  glass  of  tea, 
went  out  to  sell  papers.     When  asked  how  long  she  remained 
out,  she  said  until  all  her  papers  were  sold.    And  at  n  o'clock 
at  night  she  had  25  yet  undisposed  of.     We  bought  her  papers 
and  sent  her  home.     I  forgot  to  say  that  she  informed  us  that 
her  mother  was  with  her,  and  that  she  was  compelled  to  employ 
all  her  time  not  spent  at  school  in  selling  newspapers  in  order 
to  realize  a  few  pennies  to  support  the  family.     When  she  left, 
I  turned  to  my  companion  and  asked  him:     "Can  you  under 
stand  the  inevitable  fate  that  is  in  store  for  that  poor  girl?" 
And  he  sprang  up  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  saying:     "For  God's 
sake  let  us  do  something  to  rescue  her.".     I  pulled  him  back 
and  I  said  that  is  an  impulse  which  is  always  tugging  at  my 
heart  when  I  come  down  here, — to  devote  myself  to  an  indi 
vidual  case.     It  appeals  to  me  because  I  see  it  before  me.     But 
that  is  not  an  isolated  case.     There  are  thousands  like  that  in 
this   district — thousands   of  children  that  are   denied  the   most 
sacred  privilege  that  God  gives  to  every  girl,  to  grow  up  to  be  a 
respectable  woman,  a  respectable  wife  and  a  respectable  mother. 
I  am  not  unduly  earnest  when  I  speak  to  my  friends,  to  my 
brethren  in  all  parts  of  this  country,  that  the  care  of  that  child's 
purity  is  no  more  my  business  because  I  live  in  the  upper  portion 
of  Manhattan  Island  than  it  is  the  care  of  a  Jew  who  lives  in 
Oregon.     It  is  my  business — it  always  has  been  my  business, 
whether  I  live  in  New  York  or  elsewhere,  and  what  I  claim  and 
what  I  preach  as  the  gospel  that  animates  my  soul,  is  that  it  is 
your  business,  that  it  is  the  business  of  every  Jew,  if  he  is  entitled 
to  that  honorable  name.     It  is  not  to  be  left  to  those  people  to 
choose  where  they  shall  live.     They  are  unable  to  form  a  fair 
judgment.    They  are  no  more  qualified  to  form  a  fair  judgment 
as  to  where  they  shall  locate  when  they  land  as  foreigners  from 
Europe  than  are  your  children  or  my  children  to  determine  what 
is  best  for  them.  They  must  be  guided,  led  until  they  are  strong 


40  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

enough  educationally  to  move  for  themselves.  They  must  be 
educated  to  a  better  understanding  of  the  conditions  that  prevail 
in  the  interior  of  this  country,  of  opportunities  offered  every 
where  for  men  able  to  work,  to  lift  themselves  and  their  fam 
ilies.  That  is  an  educational  campaign  which  is  proceeding  sys 
tematically,  tediously  and  painfully  slow  in  the  lower  east  side 
of  New  York.  But  there  is  something  more  needed  than  that 
in  order  to  ameliorate  the  conditions  which  obtain  in  the  Ghetto 
and  which  are  continually  being  augmented  by  the  fact  that  the 
influx  from  Europe  is  greater  than  the  efflux  from  New  York. 
You  understand  this,  who  strive  to  aid  those  who  will  move  out 
of  the  Ghetto.  We  must  realize  that  not  only  are  the  numbers 
increasing,  but  the  tone  constantly  being  lowered.  Is  that  any 
concern  of  yours?  Is  it  less  your  concern  than  it  is  mine? — 
when  I  speak  of  mine  I  am  speaking  as  a  citizen  of  New  York. 
I  think  not.  I  have  asked  that  question,  looking  into  the  eyes 
of  Jewish  gatherings  all  over  these  United  States,  and  I  have 
never  received  but  one  answer:  That  just  as  truly  as  it  is  the 
business  of  the  New  York  Jew,  it  is  the  business  of  the  American 
Jew  because  it  is  not  a  local  question.  It  is  not  at  the  invitation 
of  New  York  they  come  there.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  choice  upon 
the  part  of  New  York  that  they  land  there.  I  will  take  that 
back  and  explain  to  you  in  a  moment.  But  it  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  steamship  lines  terminate  at  New  York.  I  said  I  would 
take  it  back  that  it  wasn't  the  choice  of  New  York,  because 
it  has  been  the  decision  of  the  charitable  Jews  of  New  York 
that  if  this  tide  must  come  here,  and  must  be  handled  by  the 
American  Jews,  it  must  be  dealt  with  as  an  American  proposi 
tion;  our  energies  will  be  weakened  if  they  come  at  various 
sea  ports  rather  than  at  one;  it  is  better  to  have  them  at  one 
place  than  to  divide  our  forces  all  along  the  Atlantic  seaboard. 
But  I  can  say  to  you  that  if  the  Jews  of  New  York  had  set 
themselves  energetically  to  the  task,  we  could  offer  inducements 
that  would  compel  the  immigration  companies  to  divert  the  im 
migration  to  Charleston,  to  Baltimore,  to  New  Orleans,  to  Bos 
ton,  to  any  place  on  the  American  coast,  and  looked  at  from  a 
purely  financial  standpoint,  money  could  not  be  better  invested. 


ADDRESS  TO  UNITED  JEWISH  CHARITIES.  41 

But  they  have  never  argued  that  feature,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
have  always  taken  the  position  that  if  we  must  take  care  of  them, 
it  is  better  that  they  come  where  they  can  be  handled  scien 
tifically,  than  to  let  them  be  landed  on  the  seaboard  indiscrim 
inately  and  receive  no  particular  attention. 

Now,  in  New  York  a  great  many  charitable  institutions  exist 
and  a  very  few  charitable  people.  (Applause.)  And  we  are 
handling  problems  which  impel  us  to  deal  with  them  familiarly; 
to  smile  when  we  hear  of  troubles  that  are  related  at  a  meeting 
like  this — as  obtaining  in  other  communities.  When  we  hear 
some  one  speak  of  these  settlement  districts  in  such  and  such 
a  community,  or  something  or  another  that  is  established  in  some 
other  community,  we  can  not  help  recalling  that  not  only  could 
we  not  say  the  settlement  house,  but  those  among  us  who  are 
best  informed  do  not  know  the  location  of  the  many  settlement 
houses  which  we  have  in  the  city  of  New  York  and  of  the 
Jewish  charitable  institutions,  so  numerous  are  they;  and  yet 
so  great  are  the  problems  that  these  many  institutions  scarcely 
make  an  impression.  When  I  took  a  visitor  through  the  Edu 
cational  Alliance  building  in  New  York,  and  told  him  the  aver 
age  attendance  there  was  7,000  a  day  year  in  and  year  out,  he 
was  amazed,  as  almost  any  one  unfamiliar  with  the  situation 
would  be,  that  it  does  not  make  a  greater  impression  upon  the 
tone  and  the  civilization  that  obtain  here,  and  the  answer  to  it  is : 
That  if  we  had  20  institutions  located  at  proper  places  in  the 
lower  east  side  of  New  York,  each  a  duplicate  of  the  Educational 
Alliance,  each  one  would  have  a  like  daily  attendance,  so 
stupendous  is  that  problem  there.  Now  to  get  down  to  the 
practical  question  to  which  I  wish  to  address  myself;  it  is  this: 
What  is  the  solution,  what  are  we  going  to  do?  Now,  I  want 
to  avoid  as  much  as  possible  speaking  of  any  matter  in  which 
I  must  employ  the  personal  pronoun  I,  which,  if  I  had  my  way 
about  it,  would  be  blotted  out  of  all  vocabularies,  but  I  am 
compelled  by  circumstances  to  say  that  when  the  Roumanian 
persecution  drove  the  first  installment  of  victims  to  the  United 
States  in  the  early  part  of  the  summer  of  1900,  the  Independent 
Order  of  B'nai  B'rith  undertook  to  distribute  them  in  different 


42  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

localities  in  the  United  States,  and  thereupon  organized  a  move 
ment  in  conjunction  with  philanthropic  individuals  and  societies 
located  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  up  to  the  first  day  of 
February,  1901,  had  located  in  a  most  desultory  and  unscien 
tific  way  somewhere  between  1,600  and  2,000  people.  Now, 
you  must  understand  we  had  no  machinery  provided  for  han 
dling  such  a  problem.  We  had  nobody  who  understood  how 
to  handle  these  people.  We  did  not  know  whom  to  employ  for 
that  purpose,  because  there  was  no  one  who  had  had  any  expe 
rience.  The  people  living  in  the  interior  of  the  United  States 
did  not  understand  these  people  nor  how  to  handle  them,  and, 
in  the  nature  of  things,  mistakes  were  made  and  duplicated  and 
multiplied  over  and  over  again,  but  out  of  all  that  turmoil  and 
confusion  and  apparent  chaos  the  fact  remains  that  about  60  per 
cent,  60  to  66  per  cent  of  those  who  were  moved  out  were  finally 
successfully  located  and  became  self-supporting  in  different  parts 
of  the  United  States.  But  quite  a  large  percentage  of  those  who 
went  out  did  not  stay  in  the  places  to  which  they  were  sent.  They 
drifted.  If  they  were  sent  within  300  or  400  or  500  miles  of 
Chicago,  they  had  a  desire  to  see  Chicago.  Most  everybody  has. 
Or  if  they  were  anywhere  near  St.  Louis,  they  wanted  to  go  to 
St.  Louis,  and  they  wanted  to  go  to  Cincinnati  in  the  same 
way.  The  large  cities  always  attract  these  people,  and  there 
was  what  we  called  a  drift.  Somebody  said  this  morning  when 
a  man  gives  $5  to  this  hospital  and  $5  to  that  asylum,  and  $50 
to  another,  every  week,  that  at  the  end  of  the  year  he  thinks  he 
has  given  away  a  fortune.  He  is  astonished  when  you  sum  up 
and  find  out  how  little  his  contribution  is.  Now  I  am  glad  that 
was  mentioned,  because  I  have  found  out  that  if  in  January 
two  Roumanians  drifted  into  St.  Louis  and  besieged  the  relief 
committee  there  for  aid,  and  in  February  one,  and  in  March 
four,  and  in  April  another  one  or  two,  before  the  end  of  the 
year,  it  was  firmly  believed  that  all  the  Roumanians  in  the 
country  were  being  dumped  into  St.  Louis.  (Laughter  and 
applause.) 

When  I  was  in  Chicago  last  March,  I  was  told  by  the  man 
ager  of  the  United  Hebrew  Charities  there  that  400  Roumanian 


ADDRESS  TO  UNITED  JEWISH  CHARITIES.  43 

refugees  who  were  sent  out  by  the  New  York  Committee  had 
drifted  into  Chicago,  and  I  said,  "Won't  you  feel  more  com 
fortable  if  you  reduce  that?"  and  he  said,  "Well,  to  be  certain 
I  would  reduce  it  to  300."  Afterwards,  through  the  courtesy  of 
Mr.  Senior,  President  of  this  organization,  I  saw  the  figures, 
the  names  of  the  men  tabulated.  I  do  not  undertake  to  be 
exact,  but  I  am  safe  in  saying  that  the  number  that  were  sent 
there  was  under  70,  and  of  that  list  of  70,  we  could  only  check 
out  about  45.  There  were  fewer  than  50  who  really  were  sent 
by  the  Committee  in  New  York  to  various  parts  of  the  west  and 
who  drifted  to  Chicago.  Well,  the  same  was  true  in  Baltimore, 
and  the  same  was  true  in  Cincinnati,  and  the  same  was  true 
everywhere  else.  In  fact,  when  you  tabulate  the  drift  of  Rou 
manians  that  were  sent  out,  we  discover  that  by  some  miraculous 
process  these  Roumanian  refugees  had  been  able  to  multiply 
themselves.  Well,  our  figures  showed  60  per  cent  remained 
where  they  were,  and  the  other  40  per  cent  had  multiplied  them 
selves  into  200  per  cent  of  the  whole  number.  I  refer  to  that 
because  it  presents  a  grave  practical  problem.  What  are  you 
going  to  do  about  it?  After  experiences  which  we  profited  by, 
we  reorganized  our  affairs  and  our  statistics  from  the  first  of 
February  will  show  that  in  our  removal  work  80  per  cent  of 
those  who  were  sent  out  remained  where  we  had  sent  them  and 
are  self-sustaining  and  prosperous.  We  sent  out  the  heads  of 
families.  Remember,  we  never  sent  anybody  to  any  community 
without  the  consent  of  that  community.  That  is  an  inflexible 
rule,  but  when  the  head  of  a  family  who  has  gone  forth  as  the 
pioneer,  can  get  a  certificate  from  the  local  charitable  organiza 
tion  or  from  the.  B'nai  B'rith  Lodge,  if  there  be  one,  or  any  other 
lodge,  that  he  is  able  to  take  care  of  his  family,  his  family  is 
sent  to  him.  Those  are  what  we  call  reunion  cases.  And  our 
reunion  record  confirms  beyond  any  peradventure,  the  absolute 
success  of  this  movement.  Now,  when  that  movement  had  been 
demonstrated  as-  a  success,  it  was  suggested  that  possibly  in 
removal  work  we  could  solve  the  Ghetto  problem.  We  could  give 
the  children  of  those  people,  herded  like  cattle,  the  opportunity 
to  breathe  fresh  air,  to  get  proper  surroundings  and  proper 


44  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

educational  facilities,  to  take  their  places  in  the  rank  of  Ameri 
can  boys  and  American  girls  and  become  worthy  American 
citizens;  we  urged  them  to  take  advantage  of  the  different  por 
tions  of  the  United  States,  and  there  we  had,  as  we  have  now, 
untold  obstacles  to  overcome;  and  we  have  gone  forth  to  make 
a  propaganda  among  the  Jews,  to  impress  upon  them  the  duty, 
nay,  more  than  that,  the  privilege  of  taking  part  in  this  great 
historical  movement.  Stamp  your  individuality  upon  it  so  that 
your  children  and  children's  children  may  say  that  there  was  a 
time  when  the  exodus  was  repeated,  when  the  exodus  from 
Spain  was  repeated,  when  the  Jews  moved  from  Southeastern 
Europe  to  the  United  States,  and  my  father  or  my  grandfather 
was  one  of  the  active  spirits  in  that  movement,  opening  his  arms 
to  those  refugees,  furnishing  them  with  the  beginnings  of  a 
career  and  enabling  their  children  to  become  worthy  citizens, 
whose  descendants  are  now  the  leaders  of  Jewish  life  in  the 
United  States.  Can  you  appreciate  that  ?  Let  me  tell  you  some 
thing  which  brought  it  to  my  mind  more  forcibly:  At  an  early 
stage  of  the  movement  I  instructed  my  secretary  to  take  an 
ordinary  railroad  folder,  a  map  of  the  United  States,  and  mark 
with  a  blue  pencil  the  points  to  which  the  Roumanian  refugees 
had  been  sent,  so  that  he  might  have  it  as  a  guide  for  the  work, 
and  I  mentioned  it  casually  one  day  to  the  Superintendent  of 
the  Educational  Alliance,  a  Russian,  Dr.  Blaustein,  and  he  said, 
"Let  me  have  that.  That  little  worthless  railroad  folder  will 
become  of  priceless  value  when  the  Roumanian  has  become  a 
fixed  fact  in  American  civilization.  It  will  be  a  precious  souve 
nir  to  their  descendants  to  show  how  they  were  first  introduced 
into  the  interior  of  the  United  States  and  where  they  first  lo 
cated."  Now,  I  do  not  appreciate  his  enthusiasm  about  the 
historical  value  of  that  little  map,  but  I  do  say,  without  respect 
to  any  special  feature  of  the  work,  that  the  work  itself  is  of 
great  historical  significance ;  it  appeals  to  your  emotion ;  it  should 
appeal  to  your  judgment,  and  if  it  does  not,  it  is  not  the  fault  of 
the  situation,  it  is  your  fault.  It  would  indicate  to  my  mind, 
and  I  think  it  would  to  the  mind  of  any  one  of  you  who  is  capable 
of  passing  upon  the  subject,  that  you  engaged  in  charity  work 


ADDRESS  TO  UNITED  JEWISH  CHARITIES.  45 

which  you  are  doing  for  pleasure.  Now,  there  is  a  great  deal 
of  pleasure  in  charity  work.  There  is  a  delightful  emotion  when 
we  do  somebody  a  kindness,  and  I  have  observed  in  myself  and 
in  others,  too,  that  we  always  like  to  do  a  kindness  to  some 
body  who  needs  it  least.  I  know  when  I  go  down  into  the 
Ghetto  and  I  see  a  group  of  children,  my  inclination  is  to  do 
something  for  the  prettiest  child  in  the  group.  If  you  find  in  a 
group  of  men  one  that  looks  the  most  respectable,  who  is  the  best 
dressed,  who  appeals  to  you  because  he  has  an  intelligent  face, 
he  is  the  man  that  is  most  likely  to  arouse  your  first  impulse 
to  aid,  but  if  he  is  uncomely,  if  he  is  untidy  and  malodorous, 
why,  you  turn  from  him  with  loathing  and  disgust;  and  yet  if 
you  are  animated  by  the  true  spirit  of  charity,  you  ought  to 
reflect  that  the  one  from  whom  you  turn  in  loathing  and  dis 
gust  is  the  one  that  is  most  entitled  to  your  assistance.  The 
other  man  can  get  along  himself.  (Applause.)  To  do  true 
charity  work  is  to  make  sacrifice.  What  values  it  to  sit  down  in 
your  comfortable  office  and  write  a  check  and  flutter  it  out,  to 
avoid  coming  in  contact  with  those  cases  because  it  may  soil 
your  gloves;  to  deal  with  them  with  tongs,  to  write  magazine 
theses  on  charity  work — beautiful  specimens  of  literature  such 
as  I  have  heard  and  seen  time  and  time  again,  and  possessing 
great  merit?  It  endures  forever,  because  it  is  not  subjected  to 
wear  and  tear.  But  if  you  want  to  do  effective  charity  work 
you  must  soil  your  hands.  You  must  come  into  contact  with 
things  that  are  loathsome  and  repulsive,  and  feel  you  are  giving 
of  your  own  comfort  and  happiness  in  order  to  secure  comfort 
and  well-being  to  others.  I  have  always  said  it  is  no  holiday 
business.  It  is  not  a  holiday  jaunt.  It  means  trouble.  It 
means  a  tax  on  your  patience.  It  means  you  are  going  to  be 
betrayed.  It  means  you  are  going  to  be  the  subject  of  ingrati 
tude  and  treachery  and  a  thousand  other  things  that  will  make 
you  recoil  because  you  must  not  expect  these  people  to  be 
perfect  specimens  of  humanity.  Why  should  you?  Are  those 
who  have  lived  with  you  in  your  own  community,  are  they  per 
fect,  are  they  all  sensible,  are  they  all  truthful,  are  they  all  up 
right,  are  they  all  courteous,  are  they  all  loyal?  and  you  will 


46  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

answer  no,  a  thousand  times  no,  and  if  that  be  true  of  the  aver 
age  of  any  community,  how  should  you  expect  these  poor, 
persecuted  refugees  who  come  over  here  should  measure  up  to  a 
loftier  standard  than  that  which  you  apply  to  your  own  people? 
Now  I  want  you  to  reflect  on  that  because  that  is  of  great 
weight,  not  because  it  comes  from  me,  but  because  it  will  help 
you  in  your  work.  You  will  observe,  in  dealing  with  the  pre 
judices  of  our  Gentile  friends  towards  the  Jews,  they  always 
insist  upon  comparing  the  average  Jew  with  the  best  Christian. 
And,  of  course,  that  is  manifestly  unfair.  And  the  American 
Jew  compares  the  Russian  and  Roumanian  Jew  with  the  best 
American  Jew.  But  if  you  compare  averages,  I  think  you  will 
find  the  scale  will  not  tip  much  one  way  or  the  other.  (Ap 
plause.)  I  heard  this  morning  a  question  put  to  one  of  the 
distinguished  delegates  of  this  conference:  How  can  we  bridge 
the  chasm  between  the  Russian  and  the  German  Jew?  How 
can  we  get  rid  of  the  prejudices  which  exist  on  both  sides?  And 
I  was  delighted  when  I  heard  the  interrogation  coupled  with 
the  statement  of  the  prejudices  which  exist  on  both  sides,  and 
I  was  pained  to  hear  a  reply  made  which  would  indicate  that 
the  prejudice  only  existed  on  one  side,  and  that  it  was  well 
grounded.  I  have  had  to  deal  with  that  problem  and  to  study 
it,  and  I  have  found  that  the  closer  I  got  into  it,  the  nearer  I 
got  to  the  fact  that  the  prejudices  on  the  part  of  the  Russian 
Jew  towards  the  American  and  the  German  Jew  are  absolutely 
well  founded  from  his  viewpoint.  And  that  the  prejudice  of  the 
American  and  the  German  Jew  against  the  Russian  and  the 
Galician  and  the  Roumanian  Jew  is  absolutely  well  founded  from 
the  viewpoint  of  the  American  and  the  German  Jew.  But  I 
have  always  found  that  both  viewpoints  are  wrong,  and  that  if 
those  who  settle  the  question  will  take  a  broad  view  of  it,  will 
separate  themselves  from  prejudices,  and  look  at  the  underlying 
facts,  they  will  find  there  is  a  misunderstanding  which  should  be 
removed ;  that  the  Russian  should  not  be  driven  to  the  loss  of 
self-respect  by  the  arrogant  assumption  of  superiority  on  the 
part  of  the  German  or  the  American  Jew.  Right  there  is  per 
haps  the  main  root  of  the  evil.  These  people  will  not  tell  you 


ADDRESS  TO  UNITED  JEWISH   CHARITIES.  47 

so  to  your  face,  but  they  understand  your  arrogance,  and  they 
will  have  nothing  to  do  with  you  as  long  as  you  assume  to 
patronize  them  from  the  standpoint  of  superiority.  They  do 
not  recognize  your  superiority,  and  I  do  not  blame  them.  On 
the  other  hand,  they  do  not  participate  in  our  charities  to  the 
extent  you  think  they  ought,  and  you  censure  them.  I  think 
they  ought  to  participate  more  than  they  do.  I  think  that  also 
of  the  American  and  the  German  Jew.  I  want  to  make  this  ob 
servation  as  applicable  to  New  York — I  do  not  know  whether  it 
applies  to  St.  Louis.  I  will  say  it  is  applicable  to  New  York,  and 
I  will  call  your  attention  to  the  proof  of  the  truth  of  it.  The 
Jewish  population  of  New  York  may  be  divided  into  three  parts 
Russian  and  the  allied  races  to  one  part  of  the  American  and 
the  German  Jew.  That  is  to  say,  350,000  to  120,000,  or  in  that 
proportion,  three  to  one.  And  I  will  say  this,  that  of  the  350,000 
or  300,000  of  Russian,  Galician  and  Roumanian  Jews  in  New 
York,  there  are  fewer  who  are  able  to  contribute  to  organized 
charities,  yet  do  not,  than  there  are  among  the  120,000  German 
and  American  Jews  who  are  able  to  do  it  and  do  not.  I  know 
that  between  5,000  and  6,000  names  is  the  largest  we  can  muster 
as  contributors  to  organized  charities  in  the  great  city  of  New 
York.  How  is  it  with  other  large  cities?  Take  the  lists  and 
compare  them  with  the  lists  of  the  American  and  German  Jews, 
and  ask  yourself  whether  it  is  not  proper  to  sweep  a  little  before 
our  own  doors  before  we  comment  upon  the  accumulated  dirt 
before  the  doors  of  our  neighbors.  We  must  deal  with  this 
question  in  a  catholic  spirit.  We  must  remember  a  man  can 
not  get  to  the  top  unless  he  climbs  from  the  bottom.  We  must 
remember  those  who  came  to  this  country  50  years  ago  had  to 
climb  from  the  bottom  to  the  top,  and  we  ought  to  be  manly 
enough  to  know  there  is  nothing  more  cowardly  and  disgrace 
ful  than  to  climb  to  the  top  of  a  wall  by  a  ladder  and  then  kick 
the  ladder  away  so  that  nobody  can  climb  up  afterwards.  (Ap 
plause.)  Now,  in  a  great  many  of  the  communities  great  work 
has  been  done.  One  of  those  who  addressed  you  a  few  minutes 
ago,  a  representative  from  Pittsburg,  himself  a  Roumanian,  has 
successfully  taken  hold  of  the  work  in  Pittsburg  under  the  lead- 


48  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

ership  of  Mr.  Rosenbaum,  the  President  of  the  B'nai  B'rith 
district  No.  3,  of  which  Philadelphia  is  the  capital  city,  who  is 
here,  and  I  hope  he  will  have  occasion  to  tell  you  from  the  stand 
point  of  the  American  native  Jew  something  about  co-operation 
in  this  work  of  establishing  refugees  in  different  parts  of  the 
country.  We  have  other  friends  who  have  done  so.  But  we 
have  some  natives  to  deal  with  that  are  as  ignorant,  apparently, 
as  the  most  benighted  Jew  that  ever  lived  in  Southeastern  Eu 
rope,  whose  horizon  is  the  limited  local  community;  who  do  not 
understand  that  beyond  the  hilltops  which  limit  their  view  there 
are  other  people ;  who  can  be  uplifted  to  a  realization  of  the  fact 
that  the  Jewish  question  is  a  question  pertaining  to  all  the  Jews ; 
that  the  concern  of  all  the  Jews  is  the  concern  of  each  Jew,  and 
the  concern  of  each  Jew  is  the  concern  of  all  Jews.  They  will  tell 
you,  whenever  a  propaganda  is  sought  to  be  made  among  them, 
that  they  have  their  local  troubles,  and  as  soon  as  they  do  their 
part  with  those  who  are  immediately  with  them,  they  perform 
their  full  duty,  and  I  say  they  do  not  know  what  trouble  is.  I 
called  the  attention  of  my  friends  from  New  York  before  we 
left  New  York  to  this:  When  you  come  out  to  Detroit  and 
meet  the  representatives  from  the  west  and  south  and  listen  to 
the  recital  of  their  so-called  troubles,  you  will  find  they  have  no 
trouble.  It  reminds  me,  when  I  heard  the  recital  from  Kansas 
City  this  morning,  of  the  bright  side  work  in  a  certain  Sabbath 
School  where  some  young  teacher  conceived  the  idea  of  putting 
herself  in  communication  with  the  managers  of  the  hospitals  of 
New  York  to  ascertain  the  wants  of  patients  and  on  Sunday 
morning  she  came  before  the  assembled  children  and  she  said: 
"Here  is  a  little  child  with  curvature  of  the  spine;  she  broke 
her  doll  the  other  day  and  she  wants  a  new  doll  with  blue  eyes 
and  black  hair — now  who  will  furnish  that?"  And  immediately 
there  was  an  array  of  little  hands  raised  up.  Every  little  girl 
in  the  Sunday  school  wanted  to  furnish  that  doll.  Well,  there 
is  a  little  boy  in  another  hospital  who  wants  a  ball.  And  there, 
again,  the  little  hands  go,  and  everybody  wants  to  furnish  the 
ball.  Of  course,  only  one  can  do  so;  and  it  seems  as  if  the  rest 
did  not  meet  with  the  favor  of  the  teacher,  and  their  eyes  filled 


ADDRESS  TO  UNITED  JEWISH  CHARITIES.  49 

with  tears,  and  they  go  home  very  much  disappointed,  because 
there  was  not  enough  trouble  to  go  around.  Now,  let  me  say 
to  you,  my  friends,  in  the  communities  where  there  is  not  enough 
trouble  to  go  around,  it  is  your  duty  to  hold  up  your  hands  like 
those  children,  and  to  clamor  for  your  share.  And  there  is  plenty 
of  it  to  go  around  if  it  is  properly  distributed.  And  the  work 
that  I  and  my  friends  are  engaged  in  is  to  bring  about  a  proper 
distribution  that  you  shall  understand  that  that  condition  which 
prevails  there  in  New  York  is  not  our  problem.  It  is  your  prob 
lem.  It  is  the  problem  of  all  of  us.  It  is  your  burden  as  it  is 
our  burden;  and  that  you  can  not  get  rid  of  your  responsibility 
simply  because  you  do  not  see  it,  or  because  you  live  a  thousand 
miles  away  from  it.  Be  manly  and  womanly,  and  face  the  situa 
tion,  and  when  you  realize  your  duty  either  you  will  perform 
it,  or  not  perform  it,  but  do  not  indulge  in  sophistries  and  fal 
lacies,  and  say  it  is  no  concern  of  yours.  Now,  I  do  not  want 
to  be  invidious ;  I  do  not  want  to  mention  names,  but  I  do  wish 
to  say  there  are  communities  in  these  United  States  that  have 
insisted  repeatedly  that  we  of  New  York  are  trying  to  unload 
our  troubles  on  other  communities,  and  that  they  were  not  going 
to  be  used  as  a  dumping-ground  for  the  poverty-stricken  Jews 
of  New  York.  Now,  let  me  tell  you  how  much  proof  there  is 
to  any  such  accusation.  I  have  already  told  you  they  are  com 
ing  to  New  York  at  the  rate  of  50,000  a  year.  Our  scheme  of 
removal  involves  the  removing  of  2,400  a  year,  so  you  can  see 
how  much  disposed  we  are  to  unload  our  burden  upon  the  coun 
try.  We  are  very  much  concerned  in  not  creating  a  congestion 
elsewhere.  We  are  very  much  concerned  in  properly  distribut 
ing  these  people;  we  are  very  much  concerned  in  looking  after 
their  welfare  after  they  go  beyond  the  confines  of  New  York, 
so  much  so  that  we  will  never  send  to  any  community  without 
its  consent,  and  we  are  not  urging  communities  to  take  more  than 
they  can  properly  care  for.  On  the  contrary,  time  and  time 
again,  when  small  towns  have  said  we  will  take  care  of  ten,  or 
any  particular  number,  our  experience  shows  and  we  have  told 
them  you  can  not  stand  up  under  such  a  burden  as  that.  Take 
a  smaller  number  first.  Our  problem  is  an  old  problem.  We 


5<D  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

think  we  are  broad  enough  to  grasp  it;  we  are  trying  to  teach 
the  breadth  and  depth  of  that  problem  to  the  Jews  in  other  parts 
of  the  United  States,  and  it  is  unfair  to  themselves  and  to  us  to 
belittle  it  with  a  discussion  of  little  details — the  consideration  of 
little  trifles  and  little  mistakes  made  in  the  movement.  Mistakes, 
of  course!  You  could  not  conduct  a  big  business  without  mak 
ing  mistakes.  You  could  not  conduct  a  great  enterprise  like 
this  without  mistakes.  And  when  you  reflect  that  the  people 
who  are  engaged  in  this  work  are  without  the  hope  of  any  kind 
of  reward,  you  ought  not  to  be  unforgiving  towards  their  errors, 
even  though  you  be  infallible  yourself.  (Long  continued  ap 
plause.) 


UNION  AMONG  JEWS. 

Oration  delivered  by  Brother  Leo  N.  Levi,  President  of 
Executive  Committee,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  at  the  celebration  of  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  District  Grand  Lodge  No.  i,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  Sunday, 
March  8th,  1903,  at  Temple  Beth-el. 

BRETHREN  AND  FRIENDS: 

The  celebration  in  which  we  are  engaged  is  not  merely  a 
festive  occasion.  We  are  not  assembled  chiefly  for  pleasurable 
entertainment.  We  have  been  called  together  to  review  what  we 
have  done  and  have  left  undone;  to  take  an  account  of  what 
we  are  doing  and  leaving  undone  and  to  make  a  budget,  as  it 
were,  of  what  the  future  holds  for  us  to  do.  In  such  delibera 
tions  we  hold  no  secret  conclaves.  We  present  our  history  with 
all  its  successes  and  its  failure  to  the  public;  and  along  with  it 
we  set  forth  the  scope  and  plan  of  our  future  activities.  It  is  an 
appropriate  time  to  reconsider  first  principles,  however  well  they 
may  seem  to  be  settled ;  to  answer  any  challenge  which  the  world 
can  make  to  us,  and  in  turn  to  issue  our  own  challenge  to  the 
world. 

One  of  the  features  of  this  jubilee  is  a  history  of  District 
No.  I,  prepared  by  brethren  identified  with  it  from  the  beginning, 
and  who  can  acquaint  us  from  their  own  recollections  with  the 
spirit  in  which  the  District  was  formed.  I  shall  not  enter  the 
field  which  they  have  so  well  covered,  except  to  pluck  here  and 
there  a  sheaf  from  the  harvests  they  have  gathered. 

From  that  history  we  learn  that  after  the  Independent  Order 
of  B'nai  B'rith  had  been  in  successful  existence  for  some  years, 
it  was  found  expedient,  for  purposes  of  practical  administration, 
to  create  territorial  districts  in  which  it  might  operate  with  a 
due  regard  to  local  considerations.  The  First  and  Second  Dis 
tricts  were  simultaneously  established  in  1851.  Since  then  five 
other  districts  in  the  United  States  and  three  in  Europe  have 

51 


52  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

been  established.  None  which  was  created  has  ceased  to  exist 
While  the  first  and  second  districts  were  officially  born  at  the 
same  time,  District  No,  i  has  always  been  looked  upon  as  the 
Mother  District.  The  Order  had  its  genesis  and  first  growth 
in  the  City  of  New  York.  Thence  it  spread  to  the  various  Jewish 
communities  in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  When  it  covered 
so  large  a  territory  that  government  could  not  be  effectively 
administered  from  New  York,  the  first  subdivision  took  place 
and  District  No.  I  assumed  the  same  relation  to  the  rest 
of  the  country  that  Virginia  bore  to  the  states  which  were 
carved  out  of  her  vast  domain. 

When  in  the  course  of  time  the  present  Constitution  was 
adopted  for  the  Order  at  large,  it  was  modeled  after  the  organic 
law  of  the  United  States,  the  Districts  being  the  analogue  of 
the  States,  and  the  Constitution  Grand  Lodge  represented  by  its 
Executive  Committee,  being  the  analogue  of  the  Federal  Gov 
ernment.  The  seat  of  the  Constitution  Grand  Lodge  has  always 
been  in  New  York  City,  where  the  Order  had  its  birth.  The 
first  President  of  the  Executive  Committee  was  chosen  from 
District  No.  I,  and  he  continued  to  serve  until  his  years  and 
physical  infirmities  compelled  him  to  resign  the  burdens  of  his 
office.  Even  then,  the  Order  was  unwilling  to  part  with  his 
services.  An  office  was  created  in  which,  like  another  Nestor,  he 
could  enrich  our  councils  with  his  wisdom. 

Without  adducing  further  testimony,  I  shall  ask  you  to  con 
clude  with  me,  that  the  relations  between  District  No.  i  and  the 
entire  Order  have  been  so  interwoven  that  it  is  impossible  to 
speak  of  the  one  without  the  other.  This  celebration,  therefore, 
while  in  a  sense  local  to  this  District,  is  in  a  broader  sense  a 
celebration  of  and  by  the  Order.  This  District  has  been  the 
pioneer  in  the  great  movements  which,  for  good  and  for  evil, 
have  marked  the  history  of  our  organization.  It  does  not  claim 
unmerited  honors  or  shrink  from  grave  responsibilities.  Those 
who  have  formed  its  rank  and  file  for  fifty  years  and  more  have 
labored  earnestly  in  a  great  cause.  They  have  won  many  vic 
tories  and  suffered  some  defeats.  They  are  not  more  proud  of 
the  former  than  sorrowful  for  the  latter.  What  they  have  done 


UNION  AMONG  JEWS.  53 

and  what  they  have  left  undone  is  all  set  down,  to  be  read  by 
those  who  follow  them.  They  do  not  demand  praise  or  resent 
criticism,  but  they  ask  that  criticism  shall  be  constructive  and 
not  destructive ;  that  it  shall  be  offered  in  order  to  build  up  and 
not  to  tear  down.  This  at  least  is  their  due,  unless,  indeed,  they 
have  builded  from  the  beginning  on  a  false  foundation  or  have 
unwisely  continued  the  organization  after  the  reason  for  its  ex 
istence  had  ceased.  To  these  considerations  we  may  address 
ourselves  with  profit  to-day,  as  if  the  world  had  challenged  us 
again  to  justify  the  establishment  of  our  organization  when  it 
was  formed,  or  its  continued  existence. 

Shortly  before  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the 
Jewish  colony  in  the  City  of  New  York  had  grown  to  consider 
able  proportions,  but  it  lacked  cohesion.  It  was  composed  of 
elements  which,  if  not  altogether  discordant,  were  at  least  not 
homogenous.  It  embraced  the  Sephardim  or  Portuguese  Jews 
who  held  themselves  aloof  from  and  superior  to  all  others; 
English  Jews  who  were  insular  in  their  ideas;  German  Jews 
who  resented  the  arrogance  of  the  Sephardim,  but  who  them 
selves  arrogated  superiority  over  the  Poles,  and  lastly,  the  Polish 
Jews,  who  sneered  at  the  assumptions  of  the  Portuguese,  Eng 
lish  and  German  Jews.  It  embraced  some  men  of  culture  in  the 
broadest  sense,  others  of  great  scholarship  in  a  limited  and 
Jewish  sense  only,  and  still  a  greater  number  of  the  ignorant 
and  unrefined.  In  the  colony  were  some  who  were  animated 
by  a  lofty  but  liberal  religious  spirit,  others  who  were  fanatically 
pious,  and  still  others  who  were  in  every  way  irreligious.  These 
are  but  some  of  the  differences  which  operated  against  harmon 
ious  co-operation.  Small  groups  were  formed,  based  in  each 
instance  upon  something  common  to  the  members  thereof,  and 
these  groups  were  jealous  of  and  in  a  measure  hostile  towards 
one  another.  Despite  these  differences,  each  Jew  was  at  some 
time  or  another  reminded  that  over  and  above  them  existed  the 
community  of  sentiment  and  interest  which  inevitably  obtains 
among  all  classes  of  Jews.  The  Jews  are  and  ever  have  been 
a  peculiar  people.  If  they  ever  forget  it  for  a  moment,  the  world 
rudely  reminds  them  of  it.  Men  may  differ  as  to  the  underlying 


54  L£O    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL    VOLUME. 

causes,  but  not  as  to  the  fact  itself.  It  may  be  because  God  chose 
the  Jews  as  a  Nation  of  Priests;  it  may  be  because  they  are 
narrow  minded  and  arrogant;  it  may  be  because  the  world 
hates  and  persecutes  them;  at  all  events  they  are  and  ever  have 
been  a  distinct  portion  of  the  human  family.  This  fact  may 
be  unfortunate,  deplorable  and  even  blame-worthy,  but  it  is  a 
fact.  If  it  be  desirable  to  overcome  it,  the  method  has  not  yet 
been  discovered.  The  Jews  will  not  surrender  their  religion, 
and  so  long  as  they  cling  to  it,  they  must  face  a  hostile  world.. 

This  hostility  takes  little,  if  any,  account  of  individuals.  It 
is  directed  not  alone  against  the  ignorant,  the  degraded,  the 
fanatical,  the  uncultured  and  the  avaricious;  it  does  not  except 
the  educated,  the  lofty,  the  liberal,  the  refined  and  the  philan 
thropic.  It  disregards  all  these  distinctions  and  makes  of  all 
Jews  one  target.  At  times  in  some  countries  this  hostility  slum 
bers  and  apparently  dies,  but  it  is  never  universally  quiescent.  It 
is  always  to  be  found  somewhere,  and  wherever  it  has  seemingly 
been  allayed,  there  has  from  time  to  time  been  a  recrudescence. 
From  some  quarter  at  all  times,  and  from  all  quarters  at  some 
times,  it  arises  like  an  engulfing  flood.  And  so  through  the  bit 
ter  centuries  the  Jews  have  learned  the  fraternity  which  com«?s 
from  a  common  peril. 

Each  Jew  carries  the  burden  imposed  upon  him  by  the  un 
friendliness  of  the  world  at  large.  The  superior  Jew  staggr.rs 
under  an  additional  load.  He  carries  the  infirmities  of  his  inferior 
brethren.  He  must  be  not  only  thrice  better  than  a  Gentile  to  be 
as  good,  he  must  also  uplift  all  other  Jews  lest  they  drag  him 
down.  If  he  be  learned  he  must  impart  his  learning  to  the  igno 
rant;  if  he  be  strong  he  must  uphold  the  weak;  if  he  be  rich 
he  must  aid  the  poor ;  if  he  be  brave  he  must  inspirit  the  timid. 
Each  is  responsible  for  all  and  all  for  each.  It  is  a  terrible  handi 
cap,  perhaps  a  grossly  unjust  one,  but  in  the  race  of  life  it  has 
been  so  established  and  so  it  remains.  It  may  be  a  blessing  rather 
than  a  curse.  Perhaps  to  the  necessities  which  beset  the  Jew 
are  due  his  best  qualities. 

Until  the  nineteenth  century  the  Jewish  religion  was  alone 
sufficient  to  insure  among  Jews  in  particular  localities,  cohesion 


UNION   AMONG  JEWS.  55 

and  harmony.  Beyond  these  localities  such  cohesion  and  har 
mony  were  not  deemed  necessary,  nor  were  they  feasible.  Com 
munication  and  travel  were  so  difficult  that  anything  beyond 
local  organization  was  not  to  be  considered.  With  the  nineteenth 
century,  two  new  factors  of  controlling  importance  entered  into 
the  history  of  the  Jews. 

The  steam  engine  and  the  telegraph  wire  brought  the  Jews  of 
different  countries  into  close  touch.  They  were  no  longer  stran 
gers.  The  Jewish  community  which  in  former  generations  did 
not  extend  beyond  the  confines  of  a  city  or  a  province,  widened 
out  so  as  to  embrace  continents.  The  other  new  factor  was  the 
birth  of  what  has  come  to  be  called  Reformed  Judaism.  When 
the  Rabbis  began  to  dispute  with  acrimony  about  Judaism,  the 
laymen  threw  off  the  controlling  influence  not  only  of  the  Rabbis, 
but  of  Judaism  also.  Over  night,  as  it  were,  it  was  found  that 
the  Jews  of  the  world  formed  a  single  community,  and  that  the 
traditional  bond  which  united  them  was  being  cut,  untied  or 
worn  away. 

In  New  York  City,  at  the  period  to  which  I  refer,  these  fac 
tors  were  most  strongly  in  evidence.  Facilities  of  travel  had 
brought  here  Jews  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  They  brought 
with  them  different  customs,  habits  of  thought,  phases  of  religious 
belief,  intellectual  acquirements  and  inherited  prejudices.  Each 
group  sought  to  dominate  the  others,  controversies  arose,  and 
not  only  disintegration  but  destruction  was  threatened.  But 
above  the  din  and  confusion  arose  one  clear  note  that  has  sounded 
throughout  the  ages.  "Though  some  of  you  be  rich  and  others 
poor,  some  intelligent  and  others  ignorant,  some  refined  and 
others  uncultivated,  some  pious  and  others  irreligious,  some  nig 
gard  and  others  generous;  though  ye  speak  different  tongues, 
worship  according  to  different  rituals  and  have  different  habits, 
yet  have  ye  a  common  ancestry,  a  common  religion,  a  common 
history,  a  common  peril  and  a  common  destiny,  for  ye  are  all 
Jews." 

Upon  this  community  it  was  possible — nay  necessary  to 
build.— 

The  dead  must  be  buried,  the  sick  nursed,  the  poor  aided, 


56  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

the  widow  comforted,  the  orphan  reared,  the  ignorant  educated, 
the  debased  uplifted,  the  weak  protected,  and  the  welfare  of  all 
safeguarded  from  the  assaults  to  which  then,  as  always,  it  was 
subject.  Therefore  wisdom  dictated  that  all  points  of  cleavage 
be  eliminated  and  an  effective  union. established  upon  a  platform 
acceptable  to  all.  Towards  this  end  leading  minds  groped  at 
first  and  later  advanced  with  rapid  strides.  Great  institutions  are 
not  created ;  they  grow. 

A  few  men  organized  on  the  lines  just  indicated.  They 
themselves  did  not  grasp  the  importance  of  their  work.  They 
builded  better  than  they  knew.  In  the  first  Constitution  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith,  the  central  thought  was  that 
of  a  Union  of  the  Sons  of  the  Covenant.  All  other  ideas  were 
to  be  subordinated  to  the  .importance  of  Union.  Its  scope  was 
limited  to  this  country,  and  its  main  purpose  as  stated,  to  secure 
"a  dignified  representation  of  the  Israelites  of  America  in  a  re 
ligious  and  social  point  of  view  and  the  elevation  of  the  masses 
in  a  moral  and  intellectual  direction/' 

The  first  Constitution  discloses  that  its  authors  were  not  alto 
gether  at  home  in  the  English  language  and  that  their  thoughts 
had  not  yet  been  clarified  by  experience  and  discussion.  But  it 
is  manifest  that  they  had  a  great  ideal  and  that  they  succeeded  in 
communicating  it  to  others.  The  success  of  the  organization 
was  pronounced  and  immediate. 

It  was  the  first  effort  in  the  history  of  the  Jews  to  organize 
them  as  such,  on  lines  not  exclusively  religious  or  local.  In  its 
success  the  Jews  discovered  themselves  in  a  new  light.  They 
found  that  their  weakness  could  be  changed  into  strength  and 
that  the  best  elements  among  them  could  be  employed  to  improve 
the  tone  of  the  worst. 

After  the  lapse  of  some  years  experience  suggested  many 
improvements  in  administrative  methods,  and  a  clearer,  broader 
and  more  definite  declaration  of  principles.  The  present  Consti 
tution  was  the  result.  Its  author,  Julius  Bien,  the  present  Chan 
cellor  of  Foreign  Affairs,  grasped  and  expressed  the  genius  of  the 
Order.  What  was  originally  a  nebulous  union  of  only  local  im 
portance,  he  made  a  well  defined  organization  to  operate  through- 


UNION  AMONG  JEWS.  57 

out  the  world.  The  preamble  cannot  be  too  often  repeated.  As  a 
declaration  of  principles  it  is  comprehensively  perfect. 

"The  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith  has  taken  upon  itself 
the  mission  of  uniting  Israelites  in  the  work  of  promoting  their 
highest  interests  and  those  of  humanity ;  of  developing,  elevating 
and  defending  the  mental  and  moral  character  of  our  race,  of 
inculcating  the  purest  principles  of  philanthropy,  honor  and  pa 
triotism;  of  supporting  science  and  art;  alleviating  the  wants  of 
the  poor  and  needy;  visiting  and  attending  the  sick;  coming  to 
the  rescue  of  victims  of  persecution;  providing  for,  protecting 
and  assisting  the  widow  and  orphan  on  the  broadest  principles  of 
humanity." 

That  the  union  of  Jews  on  this  platform  was  justified,  desir 
able  and  even  necessary,  requires  no  further  argument,  except  to 
those  who  in  some  shadowy  way,  oppose  all  distinctions  among 
men  on  account  of  religion,  race,  color  or  nationality.  With  such, 
discussion  is  futile.  They  are  wedded  to  the  conviction  that  there 
should  be  no  organizations  which  recognize  any  distinctions  what 
soever.  To  them  even  patriotism,  if  they  be  logical,  is  narrow  and 
inhumane.  They  believe  that  the  brotherhood  of  man  makes  a 
brotherhood  of  "Jews  indefensible,  forgetful  that  the  same  faith 
would  place  a  blood  brother  on  an  equality  with  an  utter  stranger. 
If,  however,  the  wisdom  of  forming  this  Union  requires  evidence, 
as  well  as  argument  to  support  it,  that  evidence  is  supplied  by 
the  history  of  our  Order  and  of  this  District.  Read  that  history 
and  learn  of  the  results  accomplished  in  works  of  benevolence, 
local,  national  and  international.  Read  of  our  Home  for  the 
Aged — of  our  Maimonides  Free  Library — of  our  Benevolent 
Funds — of  our  aid  in  the  erection  and  conduct  of  eleemosynary 
institutions — of  our  efforts  in  the  cause  of  education — of  our 
share  in  securing  treaty  rights  for  our  oppressed  co-religionists 
in  Roumania — of  our  part  in  the  Centennial  celebration  of  the 
nation,  and  many  other  potent  expressions  of  our  activity.  But 
far  greater  than  these  achievements  has  been  the  influence  ex 
erted  in  the  lodge  room  by  those  whose  good  influence  was 
needed  by  others.  Our  organization  has  brought  into  contact 
those  who  were  able  to  help,  and  those  who  needed  help.  It 


58  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

brought  about  association  and  affiliation  under  circumstances 
which  repressed  the  evil  and  exalted  the  good  in  human  nature. 

Unceasingly  it  has  made  for  the  good  and  spiritual  and  has 
made  against  the  sordid  and  material.  It  served  to  develop  in 
telligence  and  character  and  aided  in  the  discovery  of  trustworthy 
leaders.  To  those  qualified  to  lead  it  has  offered  a  following  and 
an  opportunity.  No  one  who  reads  our  history  can  resist  the 
conclusion  that  but  for  our  organization  the  status  of  the  Jew 
would  in  all  respects,  be  lower  than  it  is. 

In  claiming  so  much,  we  are  not  unmindful  of  the  errors  that 
we  have  made.  It  is  frankly  admitted  that  we  have  not  always 
pursued  the  wisest  course.  Most  notable  among  these  errors 
was  the  endowment  plan,  under  which  life  insurance  benefits 
were  provided  for  members.  This  plan  proved  unwise  in  two 
aspects.  In  the  first  place  it  was  faulty  as  a  financial  measure, 
and  secondly  it  was  a  departure  from  the  true  purpose  of  the 
association.  It  undoubtedly  distracted  the  attention  of  the  mem 
bers  and  estranged  mjany  desirable  persons  whose  affiliation 
would  have  been  otherwise  secured.  It  is  easier  to  confess  the 
error,  because  we  have  survived  and  corrected  it.  After  many 
years  of  painful  effort,  and  more  painful  endurance,  we  are  emerg 
ing  from  an  evil  which  well  nigh  worked  our  destruction.  Noth 
ing  could  better  evidence  the  real  merit  and  vitality  of  our  Organ 
ization,  than  its  survival  of  the  Endowment  folly.  Happily  we 
may  speak  of  it  as  a  disease  which  has  spent  its  course  and  from 
which  we  are  convalescent. 

It  remains  to  answer  the  challenge  to  our  continued  exist 
ence.  It  has  been  urged  that  conditions  have  so  altered  since 
our  birth,  that  we  have  no  warrant  to  persevere.  This  superficial 
criticism  has  lost  even  its  apparent  force  during  the  past  few 
years.  But  a  short  while  back  and  especially  in  New  York,  it 
was  said  that  our  charities  are  being  satisfactorily  conducted 
by  separate  societies  having  special  aims;  "our  community  is  so 
large  that  groups  are  necessary  and  any  comprehensive  union 
undesirable;  anti-semitism  is  dying  out;  the  American  Jew  has 
no  problems  except  such  as  are  local ;  the  influence  of  the  lodge- 
room  is  no  longer  required  or  beneficial — in  short,  there  is  noth- 


UNION   AMONG  JEWS.  59 

ing  to  be  done,  your  mission  is  ended  and  you  should  pass  out  of 
existence."  Since  then  the  Dreyfus  agitation  in  France  has  dem 
onstrated  that  anti-semitism  is  likely  to  break  out  at  any  time  and 
place  and  that  when  it  finds  the  Jews  without  organization  their 
plight  is  pitiful  indeed.  Since  then  the  refugees  from  Russia, 
Galicia  and  Roumania  have  raised  the  Jewish  question  to  com 
manding  importance.  Since  then  it  has  dawned  on  the  world 
that  we  are  witnessing  another  exodus  which  promises  to  soon 
change  the  habitat  of  the  Jews  to  the  Western  Hemisphere. 
Since  then  we  have  come  to  understand  that  in  New  York  City 
there  have  come  and  remained  more  Jews  than  have  been  together 
at  any  one  time  and  place,  since  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
Since  then  we  have  seen  disasters  working  ruin  to  whole  com 
munities  of  Jews.  Since  then  we  have  found  it  necessary  to  fight 
persecution  in  Europe  and  to  relieve  its  victims  here.  Since  then 
we  have  been  busy  finding  homes  throughout  the  world  for  Jews 
driven  from  Eastern  Europe.  Since  then  we  are  beset  by  an  in 
crease  of  the  poor,  of  the  widowed,  of  the  orphaned  and  of  the 
sick — and  here  in  New  York  especially  we  have  learned  that  these 
are  not  problems  of  merely  local  concern.  The  conditions  which 
have  congested  the  Jewish  population  of  New  York,  and  the  con 
ditions  resulting  therefrom,  touch  the  life,  happiness  and  destiny 
of  the  Jews  throughout  the  world.  The  tragedy  of  the  Jew  is 
again  to  the  fore,  and  he  must  realize  that,  under  the  favor  of 
Heaven,  he  must  rely  upon  himself  to  avert  or  ameliorate  its  hor 
rors.  To  do  this,  individuals  or  isolated  groups  are  powerless. 
There  must  be  co-operation  among  all  Jews.  In  short,  to  be 
strong  we  must  be  united. 

When  crises  arise  it  is  too  late  to  organize.  Organization 
must  be  prepared  in  advance.  No  one  has  ever  claimed  perfec 
tion  for  our  Order  as  an  agency  for  solving  practical  problems, 
but  at  all  events  it  has  come  to  be  recognized  as  the  best  we  have. 
It  was  the  first  widespread  Jewish  organization ;  it  has  endured ; 
it  has  noble  traditions  and  a  great  history;  it  is  established 
throughout  the  world ;  it  was  and  is  available.  Hence  the  critics 
were  silenced ;  the  rusty  hinges  were  oiled ;  the  broken  places  re 
paired,  and  the  machinery  so  long  inactive,  because  not  in  de- 


60  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

mand,  began  the  task  which,  except  by  organized  effort,  was 
unsurmountable. 

Let  facts — facts  yet  so  fresh  that  they  have  scarcely  become 
history — seal  the  warrant  for  our  existence.  How  fairly  they 
stand  forth  to  witness  for  us.  The  list  is  too  long  to  be  fully 
told.  A  few  must  suffice.  Let  the  hundreds  of  Jewish  families 
who  were  given  a  new  start  in  life  after  the  Galveston  flood  tes 
tify  for  us.  Call  the  many  thousand  Roumanian  Refugees  who 
have  been  established  in  this  blessed  land,  to  give  testimony. 
Let  the  protest  of  our  Government  against  the  persecution  of  the 
Jews  in  Europe  be  read  in  evidence.  Let  the  awakening  among 
our  brethren  in  the  so-called  "Ghetto"  silence  the  last  doubt. 

But,  say  the  critics,  if  your  achievements  be  recognized  and 
your  purposes  appreciated,  yet  must  you  be  condemned  as  a  secret 
body,  indulging  in  the  nonsense  of  a  ritual  of  ceremony.  Good 
purposes  shun  not  the  light  of  day  and  symbols  are  relics  of  a 
barbarous  age.  So  long  as  these  are  retained  the  best  exemplars 
of  the  Jews  will  not  join  your  Union. 

To  these  a  simple  answer  is  at  hand.  Our  organization  is 
not  a  union  of  men  already  perfect.  It  is  not  an  end  itself,  but 
only  the  means  to  an  end.  It  seeks  rather  than  expresses  the 
ideal.  It  is  a  practical  device  to  make  men  better,  not  a  mere 
agency  for  exhibiting  men  who  are  in  need  of  no  improvement. 
It  is  not  an  aristocracy  of  brains  or  virtue.  It  is  essentially  dem 
ocratic.  It  unites  all  classes  to  the  end  that  the  good  may  improve 
the  evil  and  the  best  the  good.  Being  so  designed,  it  cannot  be 
fashioned  or  conducted  to  suit  the  views  of  the  few.  It  must  be 
adapted  to  its  purposes  and  to  its  constituents.  Those  who  moth 
ered  and  nursed  it,  took  counsel  from  the  pages  of  history.  They 
learned  that  laws,  regulations  and  customs,  sacred  or  profane, 
if  made  for  those  only  who  stand  least  in  need  thereof,  will  ut 
terly  fail  to  reach  those  who  most  require  them.  They  knew 
that  the  complete  code  contained  in  the  Decalogue  would  have 
been  cold,  meaningless  and  ineffective,  if  it  had  not  been  fused 
into  the  very  life  of  Israel  by  the  fire  of  religious  ceremonies. 
They  remembered  that  when  the  early  Christians  builded  up  a 
great  religion  upon  the  martyrdom  of  a  Jew,  they  made  it  learn- 


UNION  AMONG  JEWS.  6l 

able  to  the  heathen,  by  incorporating  even  heathen  observances 
into  those  of  the  church. 

The  theory  of  government,  of  religion  and  of  moral  education 
is  simple,  but  to  make  them  practically  vital,  the  dreamer  in  the 
study  must  become  a  student  of  men,  as  well  as  of  ideas.  Even 
if  it  be  conceded  that  as  the  world  advances,  the  charm  of  mys 
tery  and  of  symbols  will  cease,  we  are  yet  far  from  that  day.  The 
strongest  organizations  today  are  those  which  recognize  this 
charm,  and  if  we  reflect  deeply,  we  must  recognize  that  all  men 
and  all  nations  are  within  its  influence.  When  Victoria  died,  Ed 
ward  became  King  of  England  and  Emperor  of  India  by  lawful 
succession.  Nothing  was  required  to  make  his  titles  good  in  law 
or  fact ;  yet  from  all  quarters  of  the  globe  the  richest  and  wisest 
streamed  to  participate  in  or  witness  the  pageant  of  his  Corona 
tion  as  King  and  the  solemn  proclamation  of  his  accession  as 
Emperor.  Men  may  smile  or  sneer  at  such  ceremonies  as  absurd, 
but  no  practical  man  of  affairs  can  ignore  their  importance,  so 
long  as  they  have  a  hold  upon  the  masses.  While  we  seek  to 
make  men  wiser  and  better,  we  must  deal  with  them  as  they  are. 
If  we  refuse  to  do  so,  we  shall  enjoy  no  opportunities  to  influ 
ence  them  at  all. 

And  now,  when  we  have  answered  those  who  challenge  us, 
what  can  they  say  to  the  challenge  we  make  to  them  ? 

The  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith  is  the  first  and  only 
organization  of  Jews,  extending  throughout  the  world,  and  de 
signed  to  unite  all  Jews  for  the  purposes  set  forth  in  its  preamble. 
It  has  passed  the  experimental  stage.  It  has  proved  that  such 
a  union  is  a  necessity.  It  has  no  rival.  Its  failure  would  be  a 
calamity;  its  success  has  been  and  is  a  blessing.  It  stands  full  of 
courage  and  hope,  confronting  vast  problems  that  only  union  and 
organization  can  grapple  with. 

Five  million  Jews  in  Europe  are  suffering  from  poverty  and 
the  denial  of  equal  rights.  A  million  Jews  in  this  country  and 
the  tremendous  annual  accessions  to  their  numbers  must  be 
guided  and  welded  into  an  ultimate  civilization  which  shall  be 
alike  adorned  by  patriotism  and  the  traditional  virtues  of  Israel. 
The  poor,  the  widows,  the  orphans,  the  sick,  the  ignorant  and 


62  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

the  downtrodden,  must  be  looked  after,  congested  districts  must 
be  relieved,  homes  established,  evil  tendencies  checked,  virtues 
implanted  and  fostered.  In  a  word,  never  has  the  need  been 
greater  to  carry  the  extra  weight  which  now,  as  ever,  is  placed 
upon  the  Jew.  Ours  is  an  army,  organized  to  war  upon  sorrow, 
ignorance  and  immorality.  The  recruits  are  offered  no  glittering 
rewards.  It  is  a  service  of  love,  duty  and  sacrifice.  The  offer 
we  extend  is  not  so  much  of  privilege  as  responsibility;  not  so 
much  of  reward  as  burden.  Who  feels  the  blood  of  his  ancestors 
beat  in  harmony  with  Jewish  traditions,  who  hears  in  the  cry  of 
sorrow  the  call  to  sacrifice,  who  feels  the  thrall  of  duty  and  can 
find  exaltation  in  the  humility  of  self-effacement;  who  is  not 
ready  to  surrender  his  birthright,  rather  than  defend  it;  who  has 
within  him  the  Jewish  spirit  which  has  tired  Time  and  Torture,  let 
him  enlist.  Here  especially  is  it  needful  that  our  ranks  should 
grow.  Here,  and  in  the  near  future,  will  be  the  storm  center  of 
the  Jewish  question. 

Like  a  mighty  torrent,  events  are  rushing  upon  us.  We 
must  battle  with  disease,  poverty,  immorality,  ignorance,  crime 
and  debasement.  The  prospect  is  truly  appalling.  But  God 
helps  those  who  help  themselves.  If  we  bear  up  bravely,  if  we 
increase  the  helpers,  we  shall  speedily  reduce  the  number  of  those 
who  need  help.  If  we  meet  problems,  instead  of  flying  from 
them,  we  shall  master  them.  Prudence,  wisdom,  duty — all  di 
rect  our  course.  As  in  all  ages,  the  multitude  will  hang  back,  but 
now  as  in  all  ages  there  will  be  those  who  vindicate  man  as  the 
image  of  his  Maker. 


JUDAISM  IN  AMERICA. 

FROM    JHE 

STANDPOINT  OF  A  LAYMAN. 

Address  of  Leo  N.  Levi,  Esq.,  delivered  at  the  Council  of 
Union  of  American  Hebrew  Congregations,  in  New  Orleans,  De 
cember  4,  1894. 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen : — Had  I  consulted  my  personal 
and  private  interests  only,  I  should  have  declined  to  address  you 
on  this  occasion.  Even  the  honor  I  now  enjoy,  than  which  I  es 
teem  none  higher,  could  not  have  tempted  me  to  make  the  sacri 
fices  which  my  presence  involves. 

One  consideration  alone  impelled  me  to  set  aside  personal  in 
terests  and  to  accept  the  invitation  extended  by  your  president. 

I  recognized  then  as  I  do  now,  that  here  would  be  convened 
a  body  which  represents  Judaism  and  the  Jews  of  America.  To 
those  Jews  and  concerning  that  Judaism,  I  have  a  message  which, 
humble  and  modest  as  it  is,  I  believed  and  believe  it  my  duty  to 
deliver.  To  you  as  the  agents  and  envoys  of  your  constituents,  I 
shall  entrust  it,  in  the  hope  that  when  it  shall  have  reached  its  des 
tination  it  will  at  least  quicken  thought  upon  a  subject  of  the 
gravest  moment. 

When  I  reflect  upon  the  purposes  of  this  organization  and  the 
effective  and  enduring  character  of  its  work  I  am  impressed  with 
the  propriety  of  discussing  in  its  councils  whatever  touches  nearly 
the  destiny  of  our  ancient  religion.  You  who  have  busied  your 
selves  with  equipping  teachers  in  Israel,  will  not  deem  it  beyond 
your  province  to  consider  what  is  being  and  what  should  be 
taught  to  and  by  those  teachers. 

From  every  Jewish  pulpit  we  are  wont  to  hear  our  shortcom 
ings  and  sins  inquired  into  and  condemned.  Our  want  of  piety 
and  virtue  is  rebuked  and  we  are  asked  by  our  spiritual  advisers 

63 


64  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

to  make  our  practices  consistent  with  the  faith  we  profess.  From 
their  exalted  positions  the  Rabbis  in  turn  lead  and  drive  us,  with 
appeals  and  denunciations,  and  we  hearken  and  heed  or  remain 
obdurate,  as  the  case  may  be,  with  never  an  opportunity  to  say 
one  word  by  way  of  rejoinder. 

Today,  from  this  rostrum,  in  the  presence  of  and  in  the  name 
of  the  laymen  of  our  faith,  I  venture  for  once  to  "talk  back." 

As  children  we  were  taught  a  simple  faith  from  a  simple  cat 
echism,  prepared  by  those  charged  with  the  duty  of  studying, 
knowing  and  expounding  the  religion  of  our  fathers.  The  edu 
cation  bestowed  upon  us  by  our  progenitors  we  in  turn  must  be 
stow  upon  our  descendants.  We  cannot  escape  the  obligation  if 
we  would,  we  would  not  if  we  could.  Neither  can  we  escape  the 
obligation  to  be  honest  with  our  children,  and  to  require  their 
teachers  to  be  honest  with  us.  It  is  our  duty  as  it  is  our  privilege 
when  we  have  reached  man's  estate,  to  catechise  those  who  have 
catechised  us  and  who  will  catechise  our  children.  We  are  en 
titled  to  know  what  we  are  asked  to  believe  and  why.  We  are  en 
titled  to  know  what  our  teachers  believe  and  why,  and 
when  we  ask  we  are  entitled  to  replies  that  even  our  children  can 
comprehend,  instead  of  answers  that  not  even  we  can  understand. 

When  the  mocking  heathen  came  to  Shammai  with  his  sneer 
ing  question  the  irascible  sage  smote  him  for  his  effrontery,  but 
even  to  him  the  gentle  Hillel  found  it  proper  to  teach  our  faith.  If 
the  mocker  could  move  the  great  teacher  to  expound  the  law  to 
his  comprehension,  shall  we  hesitate  to  ask  with  reverence  for 
light  ?  If  this  were  an  open  question  the  answer  would  be  ready 
and  plain,  but  unfortunately  precedents  prove  that  our  rights  in 
this  respect  are  not  admitted.  If  we  seek  for  light  we  are  deemed 
presumptuous,  and,  figuratively  at  least,  meet  too  often  the  fate 
which  the  heathen  experienced  at  the  hands  of  Shammai. 

Not  the  least,  if  not  the  most,  remarkable  feature  in  the  intel 
lectual  development  of  the  nineteenth  century,  is  the  disposition 
to  set  aside  everything  that  is  ancient  in  order  to  make  room  for 
something  that  is  modern.  So  prevalent  is  this  disposition  that 
even  in  mechanical  arts  and  sciences,  in  which  fundamental  prin 
ciples  have  been  tested  until  their  correctness  can  no  longer  be 


JUDAISM     IN     AMERICA.  65 

questioned,  these  principles  are  ruthlessly  set  aside,  by  daring  in 
novators,  in  order  that  they  may  exploit  some  novelty,  with  which 
to  startle  the  world. 

And  so  it  may  be  said,  that  while  the  discoveries  and  inven 
tions  of  the  present  era  eclipse  all  those  that  have  preceded  it, 
nevertheless  it  is  true  that  worthless  novelties  are  more  prevalent 
now  than  at  any  time  past.  If  we  boast,  as  we  well  may,  of  the 
remarkable  achievements  of  science  with  which  our  age  has  been 
blessed,  we  must  not  forget  that  in  every  civilized  country  the 
patent  offices  are  packed  from  cellar  to  dome  with  inventions  that  ' 
are  without  merit,  and  that  these  discarded  inventions  out-number 
those  in  use  in  such  a  vast  proportion  as  to  afford  food  for  serious 
reflection. 

It  is  not,  however,  with  innovations,  discoveries  and  inven 
tions,  in  the  material  world  that  I  have  to  deal  in  the  present  dis 
cussion.  I  have  only  referred  thereto  to  show  how  all-pervasive 
is  the  spirit  of  discovery,  the  thirst  for  novelty  and  the  desire  for 
innovation  during  the  last  half  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Outside  the  physical  and  material  sciences  the  spirit  already 
adverted  to  has  manifested  itself  with  even  greater  emphasis.  No 
doctrine,  however  time-honored,  no  law,  however  well  estab 
lished,  no  principle  however  completely  demonstrated,  has  been 
allowed  to  go  unchallenged  during  the  tremendous  revolution  that 
obtains  in  our  times.  Perhaps  in  religion  more  than  in  any  other 
department  of  human  affairs  has  the  revolutionary  tendency  been 
felt.  In  America  especially,  with  a  boldness  that  is  startling,  if 
not  admirable,  daring  minds  have  assaulted  every  tenet  of  every 
religion  with  a  recklessness  that  suggests  that  novelty  rather  than 
truth  is  the  goal  of  their  efforts.  Even  the  Jews  who  have  always 
been  distinguished  for  conservatism  have  not  escaped  the  preva 
lent  tendency.  In  all  ages  the  Jews  have  been  noted  for  rising 
superior  to  the  errors  of  their  time,  and  preserving  in  their  purity 
the  laws,  doctrines  and  practices  of  their  ancient  faith.  Their 
philosophy,  founded  as  it  is  upon  their  religion,  has  withstood 
with  varying  firmness,  but  with  uniform  ultimate  success,  the  as 
saults  made  upon  it  during  the  ages  by  every  system  of  adverse 
philosophy,  skepticism  or  unbelief.  Even  in  the  present  era,  the 


66  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

vast  majority  of  contemporary  Jews  are  moving  serenely  onward > 
unaffected  so  far  as  their  religion  and  philosophy  are  concerned, 
by  the  storms  that  rage  around  them.  But  in  America  and  notably 
in  the  United  States  a  large  number  of  more  or  less  enlightened 
Jews  have  surrendered  themselves  to  the  reckless  and  intoxicat 
ing  thirst  for  novelty,  and  have  laid  rude  hands  upon  everything 
and  anything  that  offered  an  opportunity  for  exploitation.  What 
ever  is  ancient  is  by  them  considered  banal,  and  therefore  re 
garded  as  beneath  the  dignity  of  an  age  that  riots  in  the  drunk 
enness  of  the  present,  without  respect  for  the  past  or  the  future. 

The  movement  in  which  these  Jews  are  and  have  been  en 
gaged  is  not  factive,  but  altogether  destructive.  It  does  not  build 
up,  but  tears  down.  Moreover,  its  destructive  processes  are  with 
out  any  rule  or  system,  apparently  having  no  other  object  than  to 
destroy.  And  when  the  destruction  is  complete,  there  does  not 
arise  upon  the  ruins  of  what  has  been  destroyed  any  new  struc 
ture  brought  about  by  any  process,  either  natural  or  factitious, 
but  on  the  contrary  the  destroyers  reveling  amidst  the  ruins  they 
have  made,  challenge  the  amazement  and  demand  the  admiration 
of  those  who  have  witnessed  their  performance  by  pointing  to 
the  destruction  that  they  have  wrought.  They  seem  to  thirst  for 
a  celebrity  that  to  most  men  would  be  odious,  and  might  well  ex 
claim  that,  'The  aspiring  youth  who  fired  the  Ephesan  dome  out 
lives  in  fame  the  pious  fool  who  reared  it." 

It  must  not  be  understood,  however,  from  the  foregoing  re 
marks  that  I  undervalue  the  achievements  of  this  century  or  the 
spirit  which  made  them  possible.  Considered  within  its  proper 
limits,  the  ambitious  spirit  of  the  nineteenth  century  must  always 
remain  to  pale  the  past  and  light  the  future.  It  has  advanced  civ 
ilization  more  in  a  single  generation  than  was  its  progress  for 
centuries  before.  It  has  uncovered  many  falsehoods  and  de 
stroyed  them  to  make  room  for  truths.  It  has  engendered  the 
spirit  of  toleration  and  the  recognition  of  human  liberty,  for 
which  we  can  never  be  too  grateful.  It  is  not  with  the  true  spirit 
of  reform  that  any  rational  man  can  find  fault,  for  the  progress  of 
civilization  from  the  earliest  time  to  the  present  received  its  im 
pulse  from  reform  ideas.  But  there  is  reform,  and  reform.  There 


JUDAISM     IN     AMERICA.  67 

is  reform  and  there  is  revolution.  There  always  travels  side  by 
side  with  true  reform  a  lawless  spirit  of  wanton  destructiveness 
just  as  marauding  parties  accompany  a  regular  army. 

Recurring  to  the  Jews  in  America,  and  their  participation  in 
modern  progress  and  modern  methods,  it  is  my  purpose  to  con 
sider  the  effect  of  it,  especially  upon  the  Jewish  religion.  From 
the  earliest  times  there  have  existed  differences  of  opinion  among 
learned  and  pious  Jews  in  respect  of  religious  matters.  The  re 
ligious  literature  of  the  Jews  could  scarcely  have  arisen  but  for 
such  differences  of  opinion.  Certainly  no  one  who  is  familiar 
with  the  history  of  the  Jews  and  the  Jewish  religion  could,  for 
one  moment,  question  the  recognized  right  of  individual  judg 
ment.  It  is  well,  however,  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  differ 
ences  which  have  obtained  from  time  to  time  among  the  Jews, 
how  they  arose,  by  what  standard  they  were  tested,  and  how  they 
were  disposed  of.  These  differences  may  be  divided  for  con 
venience  into  three  classes. 

First — Differences  as  to  the  true  interpretation  of  portions  of 
the  Pentateuch. 

In  respect  of  these  it  may  be  said  that  learned  and  pious  men, 
recognizing  the  divine  source  and  authority  of  the  five  books  of 
Moses  as  containing  the  law,  differed  as  to  the  meaning  of  certain 
passages  found  in  the  law.  By  some  the  narrative  portion  of  the 
Pentateuch  was  construed  literally,  by  others  figuratively.  So, 
with  ordinances  contained  in  the  Torah.  But  in  all  such  cases 
and  in  respect  of  all  such  differences  it  may  be  said,  without  fear 
of  contention,  that  the  Pentateuch  itself  was  referred  to  as  the 
basis  of  discussion,  it  being  recognized  by  all  the  disputants  as  the 
obligatory  and  God-given  law. 

Secend — There  were  differences,  and  always  have  been,  as  to 
the  binding  force  of  traditional  doctrines  and  practices  not  direct 
ly  enjoined  in  the  scriptures  themselves.  These  doctrines  and 
practices  arose  from  interpretations  of  the  scriptures  by  learned 
and  pious  men,  and  were  frequently,  if  not  generally,  promul 
gated  by  reason  of  some  local  circumstance  or  environment.  As 
to  the  continued  and  binding  force  of  such  doctrines  and  prac 
tices,  there  have  always  been  differences  of  opinion,  and  these 


68  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

opinions  have  been  tested  by  reference  to  the  Pentateuch  itself, 
which,  in  all  such  discussions,  has  been  regarded  as  the  binding 
and  God-given  law. 

Third — There  have  always  been  differences  of  opinion  rela 
tive  to  changes  in  liturges  and  ceremonies,  brought  about  by  al 
tered  conditions,  due  to  the  progress  of  civilization.  Much  acri 
mony  has  been  developed  by  such  differences;  learned  disquisi 
tions  have  been  made  in  consequence  thereof,  but  the  differences 
have  always  been  considered  in  the  light  of  the  Torah,  and'  the 
discussion  has  been  whether  they  were  in  consonance  with  or  op 
position  thereto.  To  anyone,  therefore,  who  studies  Judaism,  the 
conclusion  is  inevitable  that  considered  as  a  practical  religion 
there  is  no  rigidity  about  it.  It  is  eminently  a  flexible  and  con 
forming  religion  insofar  as  it  affects  the  habits  of  the  people  and 
their  rites,  ceremonies  and  practices.  It  has  for  its  primal  object 
the  harmony  between  man  and  God,  and  between  man  and  his  fel 
low-men,  and  it  has  adjusted  itself  throughout  all  the  ages  by 
slow  and  logical  processes,  to  every  environment  in  which  it  found 
itself  situated.  But  in  so  doing  it  must  always  be  remembered 
that  it  did  not  lose  sight  of  its  fundamental  and  cardinal  doctrines 
and  practices. 

The  differences  to  which  I  have  referred,  all  and  always  arose 
in  reference  to  matters  not  affecting  the  integrity  of  the  Penta 
teuch  or  its  authority  as  determining  the  essentials  and  criteria  of 
Judaism.  When  I  say  this,  however,  I  am  not  unmindful  of  the 
fact  that  throughout  the  history  of  the  Jews  there  have  arisen 
Jews  by  race  who  have  assaulted  Judaism  itself.  In  almost  every 
age  there  have  arisen  men  born  of  Jewish  parents  who,  contam 
inated  by  neighboring  tribes  or  other  religions,  or  imbued  with  a 
skeptical  spirit,  have  made  war  upon  the  fundamental  and  essen 
tial  doctrines  and  practices  of  Judaism.  But  in  every  such  in 
stance  they  were  regarded  and  treated  as  foes  of  Judaism,  and 
there  arose  champions  of  the  ancient  faith  to  do  battle  with  the 
enemy,  and  in  every  instance  those  who  sought  to  overthrow  it 
were  vanquished. 

Aaron  was  a  priest  in  Israel.  He  was  a  brother  of  Israel's 
greatets  law-giver  and  prophet,  and  in  the  performance  of  his 


JUDAISM      IN      AMERICA.  69 

priestly  functions,  for  the  worship  of  the  Jews,  set  up  a  golden 
calf.  This,  however,  was  not  Judaism,  and  when  Moses  returned 
from  his  visit  to  Sinai,  he  overcame  the  idolatrous  tendency  and 
restored  pure  Monotheism  as  the  cardinal  underlying  principle  of 
the  Jewish  religion. 

In  the  histories  of  Hezekhiah,  Josiah,  Elijah,  Isaiah,  Zacha- 
riah,  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  Malachi,  and  a  host  of  other  kings  and 
prophets,  of  Israel,  we  may  find  multiplied  instances  of  similar 
nature.  In  all  of  them  the  integrity  of  Judaism  was  endangered 
by  descendants  of  Israel,  whose  efforts  were  frustrated  by  Jews, 
who  not  only  inherited  the  blood,  but  also  the  faith  of  their  fath 
ers,  and  who  were  ever  ready  to  shed  the  former  to  preserve  the 
latter.  Such  precedents  may  serve  as  a  warning  against,  but 
never  as  a  warrant  for,  their  repetition. 

From  what  has  preceded,  we  may  safely  apply  to  any  de 
parture  from  what  is  time  honored  and  traditional  in  Judaism,  the 
following  tests : 

1.  Does  the  innovation  proposed  involve  an  assault  upon  the 
integrity  and  binding  force  of  the  Torah?  or, 

2.  Is  it  simply  a  reform  in  some  matters  of  ritual  or  cere 
mony  not  directly  commanded  in  the  Torah?  or, 

3.  Is  it  merely  a  criticism  of  some  interpretation  of  the  scrip 
tures,  which  the  critic  deems  to  be  inaccurate  ?  and  in  this  connec 
tion,  does  the  criticism  proceed  within  the  scriptures   or  is   it 
launched  at  them  from  without?     In  other  words,  is  it  a  matter 
affecting  the  meaning  of  the  law,  without  impairing  its  validity? 

If  the  innovation  belong  to  either  of  the  last  two,  it  must  be 
regarded  as  a  matter  of  opinion,  within  the  pale  of  Judaism,  war 
ranted  by  the  progress  of  Judaism  in  the  past;  and  even  though 
differences  engendered  by  such  innovation  may  remain  irreconcil 
able  among  the  Jews,  yet  they  cannot  be  regarded  as  inconsistent 
with  Judaism.  For  example,  there  are  Jews  who  contend,  most 
earnestly,  that  the  Creator  must  be  worshipped  with  covered 
heads,  who  deny  the  right  of  the  sexes  to  worship  together,  who 
insist  that  flesh  of  animals  and  milk  shall  not  be  partaken  of  at 
the  same  meal,  who  deem  it  sinful  to  write,  smoke,  cut,  ride,  sew 
or  strike  a  match  on  the  Sabbath  day,  even  if  no  labor  be  in- 


TO  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

volved.  On  the  other  hand  there  are  Jews  who  take  issue  with 
the  former  upon  all  of  the  contentions  just  mentioned.  Here  we 
have  differences  of  construction.  The  hermeneutics  of  one  party 
does  not  reach  the  same  conclusion  as  the  hermeneutics  of  an 
other,  but  both  are  agreed  that  the  law  is  contained  in  the  Penta 
teuch;  that  when  it  is  understood  it  is  binding,  and  that  it  does 
not  lie  within  the  province  of  man  to  overthrow  the  law  or  deny 
its  authority.  They  both  treat  it  as  the  courts  of  the  country 
treat  the  acts  of  the  legislature.  The  several  courts  or  judges 
may  differ  in  their  interpretation  of  the  legislative  enactments, 
but  they  all  agree  that  the  enactments  are  binding  as  law. 

If,  however,  the  innovation  consists  of  an  assault  upon  the 
authenticity  and  binding  force  of  the  Pentateuch,  Judaism  itself 
is  assailed.  There  is  nothing  in  the  history  of  Judaism  which 
would  even  give  color  to  the  suggestion  that  it  denies  the  right 
of  individual  opinion  and  the  liberty  of  conscience.  Even  to  those 
who  are  openly  at  war  with  Judaism,  sincerity  is  accorded,  and  it 
has  never  been  claimed  that  a  belief  in  Judaism  is  an  essential  of 
salvation.  In  fact,  neither  Judaism  nor  the  Jews  teach  that  faith 
in  anything  is  an  essential  of  salvation.  This  is  purely  a  Chris 
tian  doctrine.  , 

But  it  is  requisite  to  ascertain  the  true  nature  of  any  innova 
tion  in  order  to  determine  whether  it  fall  within  or  without  Juda 
ism  ;  whether  it  be  a  departure  from  Judaism  or  not.  If  it  be  as 
certained  to  be  a  departure  from  Judaism,  it  does  not  necessarily 
follow  that  the  departure  is  wrong^  or  that  he  who  has  brought  it 
about  will  be  doomed.  But  it  does  follow  that  the  departure  does 
not  carry  Judaism  with  it,  even  though  it  be  brought  about  by 
Jews.  If  this  were  not  so,  then  the  departure  from  Judaism  in 
augurated  by  Christ  and  extended  by  his  followers  would  have 
carried  Judaism  with  it  and  rendered  the  preservation  of  the  an 
cient  faith  illogical  and  unnecessary.  The  doctrines  and  practices 
of  the  Christian  religion  are  upheld  and  followed  and  have  been 
by  untold  millions  of  people.  The  same  is  true  of  the  doctrines 
and  practices  enjoined  by  Mohammed,  and  it  may  be  that  Chris 
tianity  or  Mohamedanism  is  the  true  religion.  It  is  undoubtedly 
true  that  both  were  derived  from  Judaism ;  and  yet  it  cannot  be 


JUDAISM     IN     AMERICA.  71 

seriously  contended  by  any  thinking  mind  that  either  Moham 
medanism  or  Christianity  is  Judaism.  This  is  so  because  in  each 
religion  which  proceeded  from  Judaism,  a  new  law  was  formu 
lated  that  expressly  superseded,  modified  or  abrogated  the  Penta 
teuch.  Had  Christianity  or  Mohammedanism  consisted  simply 
of  an  interpretation  of  the  Pentateuch,  it  might  be  with  reason 
contended  in  favor  of  each  that  it  is  the  true  Judaism.  But  no 
such  claim  is  made. 

To  illustrate  the  distinction  which  I  undertake  to  make  let  me 
briefly  refer  to  the  schisms  in  the  Christian  church.  The  Church 
of  Rome,  the  Greek  Church  and  the  various  Protestant  denomina 
tions  differ  widely  in  their  interpretations  of  both  the  old  and  the 
new  Testaments,  but  they  all  agree  that  the  arbiter  between  them 
in  their  differences  is  the  Bible ;  hence,  they  may  all  with  reason 
claim  to  be  Christian  churches.  But  if  a  denomination  should 
arise,  following  the  ethical  parts  of  the  Christian  religion,  but 
nevertheless  denying  the  divinity  of  Christ  and  the  binding  force 
of  his  decrees,  no  man  would  be  absurd  enough  to  call  it  Chris 
tian.  It  is  equally  true  that  any  man  or  denomination  denying 
the  binding  force  of  the  Pentateuch  as  containing  the  divine  law 
is  without  the  pale  of  Judaism. 

In  the  light  of  the  propositions  already  laid  down,  let  us  con 
sider  the  so-called  Jewish  reform  movement  in  America.  For 
convenience  we  wiM  assume  that  it  has  been  in  existence  for  half 
a  century.  The  first  and  most  striking  feature  in  reference  there 
to  is  its  want  of  system.  It  has  been  spasmodic,  erratic,  and  alto 
gether  negative.  It  has  never  had  a  great  leader.  It  has  none 
now.  No  one  has  arisen  as  a  reformer  with  a  defined  idea  or  pol 
icy  around  which  gather  earnest  disciples  and  followers,  but  on 
the  contrary  the  entire  movement  is  chaotic,  sensational  and  il 
logical.  It  cannot  be  tested  as  a  whole  because  it  has  no  unity. 
There  is  no  cohesion  among  those  who  have  projected  and  pro 
pelled  it  except  that  cohesion  which  arises  from  negation.  Each 
so-called  reformer  has  been  a  leader  instead  of  a  follower;  each 
has  been  a  law  unto  himself;  each  has  denied  any  standard  ex 
cept  that  formulated  by  himself ;  each  has  denied  the  leadership  of 
all  others  and  has  assumed  it  for  himself.  The  so-called  reform 


72  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

movement  in  each  congregation  differs  from  that  of  all  others, 
and  even  in  a  particular  congregation  the  movement  takes  its 
complexion  from  the  minister,  who  for  the  time  being  occupies 
the  pulpit ;  and  so  it  has  come  to  pass  repeatedly,  when  a  minister 
has  died  or  resigned  his  position  in  a  congregation,  that  his  suc 
cessor  has  preached  a  so-called  reform  Judaism  which  did  not 
consist  with  that  which  prevailed  during  the  incumbency  of  his 
predecessor.  The  Judaism  of  no  reform  congregation  therefore 
can  be  defined  by  reference  to  that  of  any  other,  and  they  resem 
ble  one  another  chiefly  in  the  fact  that  they  are  all  differentiated 
from  so-called  orthodox  Judaism. 

The  bewilderment  which  necessarily  arises  from  the  fact  that 
from  each  pulpit  claiming  to  be  Jewish  a  different  Judaism  is 
taught,  suggests  the  necessity  of  testing  these  various  and  con 
flicting  religions  by  reference  to  some  standard.  That  standard 
must  be  true  Judaism.  All  of  the  so-called  reformers  proclaim 
themselves  as  Jews  and  that  their  teachings  are  true  Judaism.  All 
claim  kinship  with  all  other  Jews  in  religious  matters.  These 
claims  are  more  or  less  disputed  and  the  so-called  reformers  are 
denounced  by  a  vast  majority  of  contemporary  Jews,  as  radical 
departers,  not  only  from  mere  forms  and  practices,  but  from  the 
essentials  of  Judaism.  In  many  cases  these  denunciations  are  not 
confined  to  those  who  are  termed  orthodox  Jews,  but  so-called  re 
formers  denounce  other  so-called  reformers  as  having  departed 
from  the  true  faith. 

To  those  who  are  wedded  and  obstinately  cling  to  the  Scrip 
tures,  to  their  literal  interpretation  and  to  all  the  customs  and 
practices  imposed  by  Rabbis,  by  interpretation  or  otherwise,  any 
innovation  is  in  conflict  with  Judaism. 

There  is,  however,  another  class,  and  in  it  are  embraced  the 
most  enlightened  Jews,  orthodox  and  reform,  who,  however 
willing  in  deference  to  changed  conditions,  to  drop  obsolete  cus 
toms,  rights  and  ceremonies,  not  enjoined  in  the  Pentateuch,  are 
yet  unwilling  to  depart  from  the  essentials  of  their  ancient  faith, 
and  to  them  it  becomes  a  matter  of  vast  importance  to  have  a 
standard  bv  which  to  test  the  differences  that  exist  between  the 


JUDAISM      IN     AMERICA.  73 

so-called  orthodox  and  the  so-called  reformers  and  between  and 
among  the  so-called  reformers  themselves. 

What  then  is  the  common  ground  upon  which  all  Jews  can 
stand?  As  we  have  already  seen  in  times  past,  when  differences 
arose  as  to  interpretations,  or  as  to  practices  enjoined  otherwise 
than  in  the  Torah,  the  Torah  itself  was  the  arbiter.  Is  it  still  so  ? 
The  laymen  who  have  neither  time,  opportunity  or  inclination  to 
study  minutely  the  history  and  the  development  of  the  Jewish 
religion,  and  who  by  reason  of  their  ignorance  in  respect  of  these 
matters  are  utterly  confounded  by  the  differences  that  exist 
among  the  ministers,  have  a  right  to  know  what  is  the  common 
ground  upon  which  all  Jews  can  and  must  stand,  and  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  Rabbis  to  answer  the  question  that  comes  from  the 
lips  of  every  earnest  and  bewildered  Jew.  What  is  Judaism? 
What  are  its  criteria?  What  are  its  characteristics?  How  is  it 
differentiated  from  all  other  religions?  What  is  it  necessary  to 
believe  and  to  do  in  order  to  be  a  Jew  religiously  ?  And  be  it  re 
membered  when  these  questions  are  propounded,  that  the  earnest 
seeker  after  information  does  not  ask  what  shall  /  believe  ?  What 
shall  /  do  to  be  saved,  what  shall  I  believe  and  what  shall  /  do 
to  meet  the  favor  of  the  Almighty,  and  what  shall  /  believe  in  or 
der  to  lead  a  pure  life?  But  what  is  necessary  to  believe,  and 
what  is  necessary  to  do  to  bring  myself  within  the  defined  limits 
of  Judaism? 

As  one  of  those  who  are  so  confused  by  the  differences  that 
have  arisen,  I  venture  to  remark  that  the  ethics  of  Christianity, 
Confucianism  and  even  Buddhism,  if  followed,  would  result  in  a 
pure  life,  in  justice  and  mercy  to  our  fellow  men,  in  the  practice 
of  all  those  virtues  which  elevate  and  ennoble  mankind.  But 
these  ethics  are  common  to  all  enlightened  religions  and  of  them 
selves  do  not  constitute  a  religion.  Each  of  the  religions  named 
is  differentiated  in  one  or  more  particulars  from  the  others,  and 
Judaism,  if  it  be  a  religion,  is  likewise  differentiated. 

Wherein  and  how? 

Again  and  again  the  demand  goes  forth  from  those  who  are 
ignorant  to  those  who  are  learned :  What  is  Judaism? 

It  would  seem  that  so  simple  a  question  addressed  to  those 


74  LEO    N-    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

who  have  devoted  their  lives  to  a  study  of  the  Jewish  religion, 
should  meet  with  a  prompt  and  explicit  reply.  But  in  this  coun 
try,  and  from  the  so-called  reform  leaders,  it  is  apparently  impos 
sible  to  extract  an  answer.  Will  the  rank  and  file  submit  always 
to  their  silence? 

In  the  Menorah  Magazine  for  July,  1887,  in  behalf  of  thou 
sands  of  Jews  bewildered  and  confused  as  I  was  then  and  am 
now,  I  addressed  an  open  tetter  to  the  Rabbis  of  America  setting 
forth  the  difficulties  under  which  I  and  those  similarly  situated 
were  suffering,  and  earnestly,  humbly  and  respectfully  prayed 
for  answers  to  certain  questions  contained  in  the  letter.  All  the 
questions  were  subsidiary  to  and  finally  led  up  to  the  one  con 
trolling  question — What  is  Judaism  ?  Define  it,  tell  us  what  it  is. 

In  adverting  now  to  that  letter,  I  appreciate  the  fact  that  I 
may,  with  some  show  of  justice  be  charged  with  indelicacy,  and  if 
the  matter  under  discussion  were  of  less  moment  I  should  refrain 
from  calling  attention  to  the  communication.  I  am  impressed, 
however,  with  the  conviction  that  in  writing  it  I  was  not  writing 
for  myself  alone,  but  for  a  large  class,  and  that  when  it  was  pub 
lished  it  ceased  to  be  mine  and  became  the  property  of  all  those  in 
a  like  situation  with  myself.  This  impression  is  strengthened  by 
the  reception  which  the  letter  received  from  the  Jewish  press  in 
this  country  and  abroad.  I  cannot  here  undertake  to  quote  all,  or 
even  any  great  portion  of  what  was  said  by  the  press  about  it.  To 
acquit  myself,  however,  of  an  apparent  want  of  modesty,  I  will 
quote  a  few  expressions  to  show  that  I  cannot  with  reason  claim 
a  proprietary  interest  in  the  questions. 

The  Jewish  Free  Press  of  St.  Louis,  July  8,  1887,  says :      . 

"The  American  Jewish  youth  is  waiting  with  bated  breath  for 
an  answer  to  the  questions  propounded  by  Mr.  Levi,  and  which 
are  re-echoed  from  a  hundred  thousand  young  Jewish  souls." 

On  July  22,  1887,  the  Jewish  Spectator,  of  Memphis,  was  tem 
porarily  in  charge  of  Mr.  B.  W.  Hirsh,  a  brilliant  lawyer.  On  that 
date  a  leader  warmly  commending  my  article  and  insisting  that  it 
be  answered,  appeared. 

The  American  Hebrew  of  New  York,  July  8,  1887,  after  quot 
ing  my  article  in  the  Menorah,  says : 


JUDAISM     IN     AMERICA.  75 

"We  have  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Levi  gives  expression  to  the 
thoughts  of  thousands  of  sincere  Israelites,  and  the  answer  should 
be  given  to  him  by  those  entrusted  with  the  position  of  speaking 
in  the  name  of  Judaism.  Though  an  individual  propounds  the 
questions,  they  are,  in  fact,  the  queries  en  the  lips  of  the  Jewish 
community.  It  is  high  time  that  the  people  should  hear  from  the 
lips  of  their  teachers  "What  Judaism  is,"  and  not  as  the  custom 
has  been  "What  Judaism  is  not."  Should  the  appointed  expo 
nents  of  the  Jewish  religion  fail  to  vouchsafe  the  coveted  infor 
mation,  laymen  may  have  to  step  forward  and  perform  the  teach 
ers'  task." 

The  Jewish  Exponent  of  Philadelphia,  on  July  8,  1887,  com 
menting  on  the  article,  says :  "It  is  in  effect  a  call  upon  the  re 
form  movement  to  define  its  position." 

To  an  impartial  observer,  it  would  certainly  appear  that  ques 
tions  so  simple  and  so  earnest,  insisted  upon  by  so  many  who  are 
entitled  to  be  informed,  should  have  been  answered. 

How,  in  fact,  were  they  received,  and  how  answered  by  those 
whose  duty  it  is  to  reply? 

In  the  September  Menorah,  1887,  Rev.  Dr.  L.  Kleeberg,  of 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  undertaking  to  answer  the  questions,  says  in 
effect:  'The  ethical  element  of  the  Bible  must  be  considered  as 
the  real  essence  of  Judaism."  Then  follow  passages  from  the 
Scripture  as  to  the  duty  of  man,  enjoining  conduct  required  by 
every  religion  of  note,  such  as  Christianity,  Mohammedanism', 
etc.  The  ethkal  teachings  upon  which  Dr.  Kleeberg  insists  are 
enjoined  in  the  XV  Psalm,  and  these  ethical  teachings,  or  this 
"ethical  element"  to  use  his  own  language,  is  his  answer  as  to 
what  is  the  real  essence  of  Judaism.  The  learned  Doctor  seems 
to  have  overlooked  the  fact  that  the  question  is  not,  "What  is  the 
real  essence  of  Judaism?"  but  "What  is  Judaism?"  and  he  seems 
to  have  entirely  overlooked  the  fact  that  all  religions  teach  the 
particular  ethical  doctrines  to  which  he  has  called  attention.  The 
pertinent  query  arises:  If  a  man  lives  as  enjoined  in  the  XV 
Psalm,  shall  we  ipso  facto  call  him  a  Jew,  a  Christian,  a  Moham 
medan,  or  what? 

In  the  same  magazine  for  October,  1887,  the  Rev.  Dr.  B.  Fel- 


76  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

senthal,  of  Chicago,  prints  his  answer  in  German.  In  the  Novem 
ber  number  of  the  same  magazine  the  same  reply  appears  in 
English.  I  quote  from  the  English  version  wherein  he  says: 
"Judaism  as  a  religion,  is  a  power  which  sanctifies  our  life,  and 
which  rests  upon  the  fundamental  principle  of  the  acknowledg 
ment  of  a  sole  and  individual  primitive  power  that  conditions  and 
fosters  morality ;  a  power  in  life  which  germinated  and  developed 
itself  and  progressed  in  the  midst  of  Israel  and  the  Jews.  Juda 
ism  is  furthermore  a  religion  which  has  established  for  itself  such 
customs,  laws,  institutions  and  ceremonies  which  were  made 
necessary  by  and  fitted  to  the  respective  local  and  timely  circum 
stances  and  conditions  of  life  among  the  Jews." 

Again  he  says : 

"Let  us  clearly  understand  it  that  we  recognize  and  have  to 
consider  as  a  Jew,  anyone  who  says  of  himself  that  he  is  a  Jew, 
who  declares  that  he  finds  himself  in  spiritual  connection  with 
Judaism,  who  maintains  that  his  whole  mental  life  roots  within 
the  soil  of  Judaism." 

It  is  difficult  to  criticise  such  a  nebulous  answer.  If  it  means 
anything,  it  means  that  he  is  a  Jew  who  claims  to  be  a  Jew.  This 
certainly  does  not  resolve  any  doubts,  or  offer  any  standard  by 
which  to  test  the  claims  of  conflicting  religious  schemes  all 
claiming  to  be  Jewish. 

On  August  15,  1887,  in  the  Jewish  Spectator,  published  at 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  the  Rev.  Dr.  M.  Samfield,  the  editor,  says : 

"We  may  safely  predict  that  no  replies  will  come  forth  to  the 
interrogatories  published  in  the  Menorah,  not  because  they  are 
questions  answerless  and  irrefutable,  but  simply  because  to  fur 
nish  Mr.  Leo  N.  Levi  with  all  the  information  he  desires  in  re 
sponse  to  the  thirty  questions,  would  involve  the  publication  of 
about  fifteen  octavo  volumes,  printed  in  minion  type.  We  hope 
that  no  American  Rabbi  will  undertake  the  gigantic  task." 

Judaism  is  assuredly  a  most  complex  religion  if  it  cannot  be 
defined  inside  of  the  limits  named  by  him. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Voorsanger,  in  the  Jewish  Times,  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  published  Aug.  12,  1887,  undertakes  to  reply,  but  instead 
writes  a  most  eloquent  sermon  showing  how  a  man  can  live  a 


JUDAISM     IN     AMERICA.  77 

pure  and  virtuous  life.  This  sermon  might  have  been  written  or 
preached  by  any  Christian  minister,  any  follower  of  Mohammed, 
Buddha  or  Confucius.  It  nowhere  undertakes  to  give  a  definition, 
but  devotes  itself  to  the  proposition  that  a  man  may  live  a  pure 
life  and  be  virtuous  without  any  theology  or  definitions.  This 
may  be  true,  although  I  think  the  contrary  is  easily  shown.  But, 
true  or  not,  it  is  no  answer  to  the  questions  propounded. 

Rev.  H.  M.  Bien,  of  Vicksburg,  undertook  to  answer  in  six  ser 
mons  which  are  now  to  be  had  in  book  form,  but  the  value  of  his 
answer  is  destroyed  by  the  fact  that  it  does  not  undertake  to  de 
fine  Judaism,  but  does  undetrake  to  define  the  religious  tenets  of 
the  author.  He  adopts  the  XIX  Psalm,  as  furnishing  the  correct 
guide  for  love  towards  God,  and  duty  towards  men,  and  dis 
courses  with  more  or  less  eloquence  upon  his  theme.  But  again 
it  may  be  said  that  he  has  not  given  any  answer  to  the  query  pro 
pounded. 

Rev.  Dr.  Isaac  M.  Wise,  the  Nestor  among  the  American  Re 
form  Rabbis,  in  the  Menorah  for  October,  1887,  says : 

"And  I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me  forever ;  yea,  I  will  betroth 
thee  unto  me  in  righteousness  and  justice,  and  in  loving  kindness, 
and  in  mercy;  and  thou  shalt  know  thy  God." — Hosea  11-22." 

"This  formula  contains  a  full  and  comprehensive  definition  of 
Judaism  what  it  is  per  se,  in  theory,  and  in  practice,  what  it  is, 
was  and  forever  will  be,  what  are  its  criteria,  its  characteristics, 
by  which  it  is  distinguished  from  all  other  creeds  and  systems. 

"Judaism  is  the  religion  of  the  three-fold  covenant  between 
God  and  Man,  God  and  Israel  as  recorded  and  preserved  in  the 
Torah,  written  by  Moses  in  the  book  of  the  Covenant  (Exodus 
XXIV  1-8,  2  Kings  XXII,  8-10  XXIII-24)  expounded  and  re 
duced  to  practice  at  different  times  by  Moses,  the  prophets,  sages, 
and  lawfully  constituted  bodies  of  Israel." 

Many  other  efforts  more  or  less  ambitious,  were  made  to  fur 
nish  answers  to  the  questions.  None  except  those  that  I  have 
mentioned  need  be  dignified  by  any  reference  to  them  here.  Suf 
fice  that  they  were  less  meritorious  and  further  from  answering 
the  questions  or  any  one  of  them  than  those  to  which  I  have  re 
ferred.  In  passing  I  think  it  but  just  to  say  in  respect  of  Dr. 


7  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

Wise  that  while  his  answer  may  not  be  sufficiently  comprehensive, 
at  least  it  has  the  merit  of  being  a  definition.  It  undertakes  to 
assign  Judaism  to  its  proximate  genus  and  to  differentiate  it  from 
all  other  religions  by  a  mention  of  its  specific  differences.  Whether 
it  be  sufficient  and  accurate  or  not,  I  am  unable  to  determine.  If 
it  be  accurate,  if  it  be  comprehensive,  it  ought  to  gain  for  itself 
the  consensus  of  all  other  Rabbis,  whether  reform  or  orthodox. 
If  it  be  inaccurate  it  should  be  criticised  by  other  Rabbis. 

It  is  manifest  that  with  the  single  exception  of  Dr.  Wise,  none 
of  those  whose  replies  have  come  to  my  attention  have  under 
taken  to  give  a  definition  of  Judaism.  Many  have  contended  that 
it  cannot  be  defined.  If  so  there  must  be  reason  for  it,  and  we 
are  entitled  to  know  the  reason.  When,  however,  such  authority 
as  Dr.  Wise  and  others  undertake  to  define  it  and  when  we  find 
that  lexicographers,  philosophers,  students  and  scientific  men  do 
define  it,  to  the  comprehension  of  all  men,  we  cannot  be  expected 
to  accede  to  the  proposition  that  Judaism  is  incapable  of  definition. 
Shall  it  not  then  be  defined  for  us,  by  those  who  avowedly  preach 
and  expound  it?  Shall  we  not  demand  such  a  definition,  and 
when  the  statements  are  made  in  response  to  our  demand,  how 
shall  we  test  them  ? 

Prof.  C.  P.  Tiele,  of  the  University  of  Leyden,  in  his  article 
on  Religion,  published  in  the  Encyclopedia  Brittannica,  says: 
"Not  only  has  every  religion  as  a  whole  and  every  religious 
group,  to  be  compared  with  others,  that  we  may  know  in  what 
particular  qualities  it  agrees  with  or  differs  from  them,  and  that 
we  may  determine  its  special  characteristics,  but,  before  this  can 
be  done,  comparative  study  on  a  much  larger  scale  must  precede. 
Every  religion  has  two  prominent  constituent  elements,  the  one 
theoretical,  the  other  practical,  religious  ideas  and  religieus  acts. 
The  ideas  may  be  vague  conceptions,  concrete  myths,  precise  dog 
mas,  either  handed  over  by  tradition  or  recorded  in  sacred  books 
combined  or  not  into  systems  of  mythology  and  dogmatics,  sum 
marized  or  not  in  a  creed  or  symbol,  but  there  is  no  living  re 
ligion  without  something  like  a  doctrine.  On  the  other  hand  a 
doctrine,  however  elaborate,  does  not  constitute  a  religion. 
Scarcely  less  than  by  its  leading  ideas,  a  religion  is  characterized 


JUDAISM     IN     AMERICA.  79 

by  its  rites  and  institutions,  including  in  the  higher  phases  of  de 
velopment,  moral  precepts  in  the  higher  phases,  ethical  principles. 
It  happens  but  very  seldom,  if  ever,  that  these  two  elements  bal 
ance  each  other.  In  different  religions  they  are  commonly  found 
in  very  different  proportions,  some  faiths  being  pre-eminently 
doctrinal  or  dogmatic,  others  pre-eminently  ritualistic  or  ethical, 
but  where  one  of  them  is  wanting  entirely,  religion  no  longer  ex 
ists.  Not  that  dogma  and  ritual  are  religion;  they  are  only  its 
necessary  manifestations,  the  embodiment  of  what  must  be  con 
sidered  as  its  very  life  and  essence,  of  that  which  as  an  inner  con 
viction  must  be  distinguished  from  a  doctrine  or  creed — a  belief." 

All  of  the  standard  dictionaries  define  religion  as,  "The  recog 
nition  of  God,  as  an  object  of  worship,  love  and  obedience."  The 
Imperial  Dictionary  further  defines  it  as,  "The  feeling  of  rever 
ence  which  men  entertain  towards  a  supreme  being,  or  any  order 
of  beings  conceived  by  them  as  demanding  reverence  from  the 
possession  of  superhuman  control  over  the  destiny  of  man  or  the 
power  of  nature." 

As  explanatory  of  the  latter  definition,  the  Imperial  Dictionary 
quotes  as  follows  from  Prof.  Max  Muller :  "It  may  be  easily  per 
ceived  that  religion  means  at  least  two  very  different  things. 
When  we  speak  of  the  Jewish  or  Christian  religion  or  the  Hindu, 
we  mean  a  body  of  doctrines  handed  down  by  tradition  or  in 
canonical  books  and  containing  all  that  constitutes  the  faith  of 
Jew,  Christian,  or  Hindu.  Using  religion  in  that  sense  we  might 
say,  that  a  man  has  changed  his  religion,  that  is  that  he  has  adopt 
ed  the  Christian  instead  of  the  Brahamanrcal  body  of  religious 
doctrines,  just  as  a  man  may  learn  to  speak  English  instead  of 
Hindustani. 

But  religion  is  also  used  in  a  different  sense.  As  there  is  a 
faculty  of  speech,  independent  of  all  historical  forms  of  language, 
so  we  may  speak  of  a  faculty  of  faith  in  man  independent  of  all 
historical  religions.  If  we  say  that  it  is  religion  which  distin 
guishes  man  from  the  animal,  we  do  not  mean  the  Christian  or 
the  Jewish  religion  only.  We  do  not  mean  any  special  religion, 
but  we  mean  a  mental  faculty ;  that  faculty  which  independent  of, 
nay,  in  spite  of  sense  or  reason,  enables  man  to  apprehend  the  In- 


8O  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

finite  under  different  names,  and  in  varying  disguises.  Without 
that  faculty  no  religion,  not  even  the  lowest  worship  of  idols  and 
fetishes  would  be  possible;  and  if  we  will  listen  attentively,  we 
can  hear  in  all  religions  a  groaning  of  the  spirit,  a  struggle  to  con 
ceive  the  inconceivable,  to  utter  the  unutterable,  a  longing  after 
the  Infinite,  a  love  of  God." 

Here  we  perceive  a  distinction  which  has  been  lost  sight  of 
almost  altogether  in  the  answers  of  the  Rabbis  heretofore  advert 
ed  to. 

Judaism  is  defined  in  all  of  the  standard  dictionaries  as  "the 
religious  doctrine  and  rites  of  the  Jews,  as  enjoined  in  the  laws  of 
Moses."  I  do  not  quote  this  definition  as  being  absolutely  cor 
rect,  but  merely  for  the  purpose  of  showing  that  Judaism  is  sus 
ceptible  of  definition,  and  that  its  definition  has  been  undertaken 
by  lexicographers,  whose  efforts  in  that  direction,  whether  suc 
cessful  or  not,  are  at  least  comprehensible,  and  if  not  correct,  may 
be  made  so.  Those  who  are  in  touch  with  Judaism  and  whose 
vocation  it  is  to  study  it,  may  certainly  enlarge  or  correct  the  defi 
nition  as  given  in  the  dictionaries,  if  that  definition  requires  en 
largement  or  qualification.  ' 

There  is  no  religion,  and  can  be  none,  that  does  not  embrace 
both  doctrines  and  rites.  In  every  religion  there  must  be  con 
tained  a  doctrine,  a  belief,  a  command,  as  well  as  a  mode  of  life. 
The  acceptance  of  such  doctrines  and  beliefs,  obedience  to  such 
commands  and  conformity  with  such  mode  of  life,  are  the  require 
ments  of  the  particular  religion,  and  those  who  do  not  recognize 
such  requirements,  place  themselves  beyond  the  pale  of  the  re 
ligion.  And  this  is  true,  without  reference  to  the  virtue  or  sinful- 
ness  of  the  particular  individual.  History  is  full  of  instances  of 
virtuous  practices  by  free-thinkers,  skeptics  and  even  atheists. 
Pure  and  noble  men  have  existed  in  all  religions,  and  there  is 
doubtless  some  community  of  spirit  among  all  virtuous  men.  But 
it  would  be  absurd  to  contend  because  there  is  much  in  common 
among  all  good  men,  that  all  good  men  are  therefore  Christians, 
Buddhists,  Jews  or  Mohammedans.  All  enlightened  religions 
have  a  common  goal,  each  seeking  to  reach  it  by  different  roads 
or  methods.  True  tolerance  recognizes  this,  and  it  is  in  no  wise 


JUDAISM      IN     AMERICA.  8l 

impaired  by  the  claim  on  the  part  of  each  particular  religion,  that 
its  road  and  its  methods  are  superior  to  all  others. 

The  great  age,  the  glorious  history,  the  magnificent  achieve 
ments  and  the  enduring  quality  of  Judaism  must  certainly  com 
mend  it  to  the  earnest  attention  of  every  member  of  the  Jewish 
race.  It  should  be  approached  by  him,  with  what  Mr.  Gladstone 
calls  "reverential  awe."  Its  criteria,  characteristics  and  essentials 
should  be  most  earnestly  considered,  and  if  found  true,  as  ear 
nestly  observed.  Those  who  are  charged,  or  have  charged  them 
selves  with  studying  and  expounding  Judaism,  to  say  the  least, 
place  themselves  in  a  ridiculous  attitude  if  they  decline  to  make 
the  understanding  of  this  ancient  faith  an  easy  matter  to  all  men. 
It  should  be  demanded  by  every  Jew,  that  his  minister  should  ex 
plain  to  him,  in  clear  and  explicit  terms,  what  is  the  religion  of  his 
forefathers  and  what  are  its  essentials. 

I  anticipate  that  what  I  have  said  will  be  criticised  by  those 
claiming  to  have  a  catholic  spirit.  It  will  be  contended  that  I  am 
seeking  to  build  a  wall  around  Judaism  so  as  to  segregate  it  from 
all  other  faiths  and  thus  engender  a  spirit  of  intolerance.  It  will 
be  asked,  as  has  already  been  asked,  what  matter  it  whether  we 
hold  to  a  certain  faith  or  practice  certain  ceremonies,  so  long  as 
we  lead  a  pure  and  virtuous  life.  Such  a  question  cannot  well  be 
disregarded,  for  if  it  be  unimportant  to  hold  to  any  particular  re 
ligion,  or  to  practice  any  particular  rites  and  ceremonies,  then  the 
complaint,  which  is  the  basis  of  this  discussion,  is  itself  without 
foundation.  I  hold  that  it  is  of  the  last  importance  that  a  man 
should  follow  a  particular  religion  in  order  to  lead  a  virtuous  life, 
and  when  I  say  "man"  I  do  not  mean  a  particular  man  or  a  partic 
ular  class  of  men,  but  I  mean  man  in  general. 

While  the  child  is  of  tender  years,  a  command  from  the  parent 
is  susceptible  of  enforcement,  either  through  love  or  fear  on  the 
part  of  the  child  for  the  parent.  But  there  comes  a  time  in  the  life 
of  the  child  when  its  mind  expands,  and  when  its  reason  demands 
an  explanation  of  the  mandates  which  it  is  called  upon  to  obey. 
If  the  father  shall  tell  the  child  that  he  must  not  lie  or  steal  or 
commit  violence,  the  child  will  ask  why?  The  birds  and  beasts 
that  the  child  sees  about  him  practice  deception,  commit  theft,  and 


;82  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

visit  violence  upon  other  birds  and  beasts.  Why  then  should  the 
child  abstain  from  these  things,  which  it  has  set  before  it  by  ex 
ample  every  day  of  its  life?  The  parent  will  promptly  respond 
that  the  child  must  abstain,  because  lying,  stealing  and  violence 
are  wrong.  The  child  will  then  ask  why  is  it  wrong?  Shall  the 
parent  content  the  inquiring  mind  by  saying  that  it  is  wrong,  be 
cause  I,  the  parent,  have  so  decreed  ?  Surely  not.  Will  he  under 
take  to  find  a  basis  in  reason  for  the  proposition  that  lying,  steal 
ing  and  killing  are  wrong  ?  Has  anyone  ever  been  able  to  demon 
strate,  without  reference  to  some  revealed  law,  that  man  commits 
a  sin  when  he  lies,  steals  or  kills  ? 

I  am  not  unmindful  of  the  argument  that  every  man  possesses 
certain  rights,  and  that  whoever  invades  those  rights  commits  a 
wrong;  that  every  man  has  a  right  of  life,  liberty,  property  and 
reputation,  and  that  whoever  invades  these  rights  commits  a 
wrong.  But  if  these  propositons  are  to  be  accepted  as  self-evi 
dent  (and  unless  they  be  self-evident  they  cannot  be  accepted), 
are  they  not  equally  applicable  to  every  species  of  the  animal  king 
dom,  as  well  as  to  man?  Does  it  not  follow  that  lying,  stealing 
aiad  violence  on  the  part  of  the  lion  and  tiger  or  any  other  animal 
involve  the  commission  of  sin? 

Such  considerations  must  drive  the  parent  at  last  to  a  choice 
between  teaching  morality  as  a  matter  of  expediency  only,  or  as 
obedience  to  the  diwne  law.  If  he  elects  to  teach  morality  as  di 
vinely  ordained,  he  must  be  able  to  explain  to  the  child  when, 
where  and  under  what  circumstances  the  law  was  given,  and  why 
it  is  obligatory.  This  involves  the  teachings  not  only  of  religion 
in  its  general  aspect,  but  involves  the  teaching  of  a  particular  re 
ligion. 

I  apprehend,  however,  that  it  requires  no  great  argument  to 
impress  upon  every  Jew  the  importance  of  teaching  Judaism  to 
his  children.  There  is  great  need,  however,  of  impressing  upon 
the  Jews  the  importance  of  teaching  true  Judaism  to  their  chil 
dren.  It  is  a  grave  breach  of  faith  t®  a  child  to  teach  it  a  religion 
which  the  teacher  does  not  believe  to  be  true.  For  sooner  or  later 
the  child  will  discover  what  the  teacher  regards  as  spurious,  and 
will  indiscriminately  set  aside  the  entire  lesson  because  of  that 


JUDAISM      IN     AMERICA.  83 

therein  contained  which  is  discredited  by  the  teacher.  But  upon 
higher  grounds  than  even  the  welfare  of  the  child  should  every 
man  avoid  teaching  what  he  believes  to  be  false.  No  teacher  of 
religion,  whatever  be  its  form,  can  justify  falsehood  and  hypoc 
risy  upon  any  ground  whatsoever,  any  more  than  can  any  man 
justify  lying  or  any  other  form  of  wrong-doing.  Doing  evil  that 
good  may  come  of  it  is  a  pernicious  doctrine  that  can  find  no 
appropriate  place  in  any  religious  scheme,  nor  in  the  life  of  any 
virtuous  man.  We  cannot  escape  the  obligation  to  teach  a  re 
ligion  to  our  children,  nor  the  obligation  to  see  that  those  charged 
with  the  task  of  teaching  are  sincere  in  their  work.  It  becomes, 
therefore,  for  this  reason  alone,  if  for  no  other,  of  the  utmost  im 
portance  that  the  teachers  of  the  particular  religion  shall  be  sin 
cere  in  their  teachings,  and  shall  be  in  accord  as  to  the  essentials 
of  the  religion  they  teach.  For  this  reason,  among  others,  the 
Jewish  laymen  should  persist  in  their  demand  that  the  Rabbis 
shall  define  Judaism,  and  shall  stand  by  it  or  leave  it. 

I  have  already  shown  that  the  so-called  reform  Rabbis  in  the 
United  States  are  not  generally  in  accord,  and  they  are  unable  or 
unwilling  to  define  Judaism  and  to  indicate  the  common  ground 
upon  which  they  all  stand,  however  great  their  differences  may  be 
upon  minor  matters.  In  many  instances  they  have  suffered  them 
selves  to  become  intoxicated  by  the  iconoclastic  and  revolutionary 
spirit  of  the  age.  They  have  yielded  themselves  to  the  superficial 
skepticism,  of  the  present  era,  which  is,  after  all,  but  a  repetition 
of  the  same  manifestation  at  different  periods  of  the  world's  his 
tory.  Whenever  man  has  made  great  progress  in  the  subjuga 
tion  of  nature  to  his  own  wants,  he  has  set  up  his  own  reason,  his 
own  intellect  as  an  object  of  worship.  The  human  understanding 
is  set  up  by  a  process  of  deification  to  be  worshipped  by  itself.  It 
undertakes  to  test  every  propositon  by  its  own  powers,  and  what 
ever  it  is  not  able  to  grasp,  conceive  or  comprehend,  it  rejects  as 
necessarily  untrue. 

Even  in  the  time  of  that  great  philosopher,  Montaigne,  it  was 
the  case,  and  of  it  he  says : 

"  'Tis  a  very  great  presumption  to  slight  and  condemn  all 
things  for  false  that  do  not  appear  to  us  likely  to  be  true ;  which  is 


84  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

the  ordinary  vice  of  such  as  fancy  themselves  wiser  than  their 
neighbors.  *  *  *  Reason  has  instructed  me  that  resolutely 
to  condemn  anything  for  false  and  impossible  is  to  circumscribe 
and  limit  the  will  of  God  and  the  power  of  nature  within  the 
bounds  of  my  own  capacity,  than  which  no  folly  can  be  greater. 
If  we  give  the  names  of  monster  and  miracle  to  everything  our 
reason  cannot  comprehend,  how  many  such  are  continually  pre 
sented  before  our  eyes  ?  Let  us  but  consider  through  what  clouds, 
as  it  were,  groping  through  what  darkness,  our  teachers  lead  us 
to  the  knowledge  of  most  of  the  things  which  we  apply  our 
studies  to,  and  we  shall  find  that  it  is  rather  custom  than  knowl 
edge  that  takes  away  the  wonder  and  renders  them  easy  and  fa 
miliar  to  us,  and  that  if  those  things  were  now  newly  presented 
to  us  we  should  think  them  as  strange  and  incredible  if  not  more 
so  than  any  others." 

"He  that  had  never  seen  a  river  imagined  the  first  he  met 
with  to  be  a  sea ;  and  the  greatest  things  that  have  fallen  within 
our  knowledge  we  conclude  the  extremes  that  nature  makes  of 
the  kind.  Things  grow  familiar  to  men's  minds  by  being  often 
seen,  so  that  they  neither  admire  nor  are  inquisitive  into  things 
they  daily  see,  (Cicero).  The  novelty  rather  than  the  greatness 
of  things  tempts  us  to  inquire  into  their  causes.  But  we  are  to 
judge  with  more  reverence  and  with  greater  acknowledgment  of 
our  own  ignorance  and  infirmity  of  the  infinite  power  of  nature. 
How  many  unlikely  things  are  there  testified  by  people  of  very 
good  repute  which,  if  we  cannot  persuade  ourselves  absolutely  to 
believe,  we  ought  at  least  to  leave  them  in  suspense,  for  to  con 
demn  them  as  impossible  is  by  a  Temerarious  presumption  to 
pretend  to  know  the  utmost  bounds  of  possibility." 

The  innovations  which  find  their  genesis  in  such  a  mental 
process  as  is  here  condemned  are  necessarily  diverse  and  without 
cohesion,  because  the  mental  processes  differ  in  the  ratio  of  the 
minds  in  which  they  occur.  And  when  to  this  erratic  mental  proc 
ess  is  added  an  abnormal  thirst  for  novelty,  it  is  readily  conceiv 
able  how  great  and  how  numerous  must  be  the  consequent  errors. 

Lord  Bacon  in  his  essay  on  Innovations  justly  appreciates  and 
gives  warning  against  this  tendency  in  the  following  words : 


JUDAISM      IN      AMERICA. 

"Beware  that  it  be  the  reformation  that  draweth  on  ... 
and  not  the  desire  for  change  that  pretendeth  the  reformation , 
and  lastly  that  the  novelty  though  it  be  not  rejected  yet  be  held 
for  a  suspect." 

It  would  be  easy  to  show  how  the  greatest  minds  of  every 
age  have  reached  the  conclusion  that  there  can  be  no  greater  folly 
than  to  limit  one's  faith  to  facts  that  the  mind  can  comprehend  and 
fully  explain.  It  would  be  equally  easy  to  demonstrate  by  author 
ity  that  the  understanding  or  reason  cannot  safely  be  relied  upon 
as  a  guide  to  conduct.  If  reason  is  set  up  as  an  object  of  worship 
or  even  as  a  guide  to  conduct,  it  should  possess  the  quality  of  con 
stancy,  it  should  operate  uniformly  in  all  men  and  in  all  men  pos 
sessed  of  the  same  data  it  should  reach  the  same  conclusion.  But, 
on  the  contrary,  nothing  is  so  inconsistent  as  reason.  It  not  only 
operates  differently  in  different  men,  in  different  eras,  but  it  oper 
ates  differently  in  the  same  man  at  different  times.  If  truth  or 
the  conception  of  it  is  to  depend  upon  the  constant  changes  in 
the  operations  of  the  human  intellect,  it  is  unworthy  of  man's 
aspirations.  But  the  truth  exists  whether  men  apprehend  it  or 
not,  and  it  cannot  be  measured  by  man's  capacity  to  apprehend  it. 

Mr.  Edison,  one  of  the  foremost,  if  not  the  foremost  man  of 
his  time,  one  who  has  done  more  to  distinguish  this  age  than  any 
other;  one  who  has  mastered  more  mysteries  of  nature  than  any 
other  man  of  his  time,  has  truly  observed  that:  "We  don't 
know  a  millionth  part  of  one  per  cent  about  anything."  Again 
he  has  said :  "I  find  that  the  conceit  of  man  is  in  the  inverse  ratio 
to  the  square  of  his  knowledge."  This  is  but  stating  in  a  differ 
ent  way  a  proposition  accepted  of  all  wise  men  that  the  greater  our 
learning,  and  the  greater  our  wisdom,  the  more  we  appreciate 
how  little  we  know,  and  how  much  is  beyond  the  capacity  of  man 
to  know.  Nothing  could  so  clearly  demonstrate  the  inconsistency 
and  the  impotence  of  reason  as  the  subject  of  this  discussion. 
Men  who  have  refused  and  do  refuse  to  believe  those  things 
which  their  reason  cannot  comprehend  or  explain,  find  themselves 
totally  unable  by  resort  to  their  reason  and  understanding,  to 
explain  so  simple  and  historical  a  fact  as  the  essential  nature  of 
Judaism. 


86  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

It  is  a  common  error  to  claim  that  a  want  of  faith  is  peculiar 
to  men  of  great  learning  and  wisdom,  and  that  the  enlightenment 
of  this  age  is  responsible  for  the  decadence  of  faith.  That  this  is 
an  error  is  easily  shown.  Faith  is  no  easier  or  harder  now  than 
it  was  aforetime.  The  discoveries  of  this  age  render  it  no  more 
difficult  to  believe  the  Bible  than  in  times  gone  by.  The  ethical 
qualities  of  the  Bible  are  not  impaired  in  the  least  by  any  discov 
eries  of  science  in  this  or  any  other  age,  and  as  to  the  narrative 
portion  of  the  Scriptures  scientific  discoveries  have  not  augmented 
the  difficulties  over  what  they  were  two  thousand  years  ago. 
It  was  as  difficult  for  a  human  mind  to  comprehend  and  believe 
the  narrative  portions  of  the  Bible  twenty  centuries  ago  as  it  is 
now.  Skepticism  has  always  arisen  from  the  deification  of  the 
human  intellect  by  superficial  thinkers  who  do  not  realise  that 
with  the  Infinite  the  most  exalted  mind  compares  no  better  than 
the  lowest.  It  is  true  that  increase  of  knowledge  involved  the 
decrease  of  superstition  and  in  the  decadence  of  superstition 
faith  necessarily  suffered.  Superstition  bears  the  same  relation 
to  faith  that  alchemy  does  to  chemistry.  It  is  doubtless  true  that 
chemistry  has  suffered  by  reason  of  its  relation  to  alchemy,  but 
it  would  be  the  height  of  folly  to  entirely  set  aside  and  decry 
chemistry,  because  it  was  once  aligned  with  the  spurious  doctrines 
of  a  false  science.  True  wisdom  dictates  that  we  should  separate 
the  wheat  from  the  chaff,  that  we  should  rid  ourselves  of  the 
false  and  safeguard  the  true.  This  distinction  which  wisdom  de 
mands  has  not  been  observed  by  many  so-called  reform  Rabbis  in 
the  United  States.  With  them  there  has  been  no  preservative 
or  constructive  process.  It  is  not  to  be  gainsaid  that  even  those 
who  have  departed  radically  from  the  traditional  faith  of  their 
fathers  have  preached  virtue  and  right  conduct.  But  upon  what 
basis?  They  have  not  derived  it  from  God,  nor  from  His  law, 
but  from  their  own  minds.  They  have  based  it  upon  utility,  man's 
nature,  man's  natural  rights,  duties,  etc.,  leaving  it  at  last  with 
out  any  warmth  or  vitality  which  stir  the  emotions  and  influence 
the  heart.  The  religion  which  they  have  taught  is  like  an  artificial 
flower  which  may  deceive  the  eye  for  a  time,  but  when  closely 
inspected  excites  the  keenest  disappointment. 


JUDAISM     IN     AMERICA.  87 

There  can  be  no  religion  without  faith,  and  that  faith  cannot  be 
limited  by  man's  power  of  comprehension.  Even  when  it  involves 
something  beyond  the  comprehension  of  the  intellect  it  is  not 
repugnant  to  reason,  for  it  is  altogether  reasonable  that  revela 
tion  and  miracles  should  have  occurred  for  the  ends  for  which 
they  did  occur.  To  deny  that  they  could  have  occurred  is  to 
deny  the  omnipotence  of  the  Creator  and  to  limit  his  power 
to  those  achievements  that  man  can  understand. 

Moreover,  the  extraordinary  occurrences  that  men  reject  on 
the  ground  of  reason  were  in  no  sense  more  wonderful  than 
those  which  we  see  evey  day  and  unhesitatingly  accept.  They 
differ  from  the  phenomena  that  are  daily  apparent  only  in  their 
rarity.  The  faith  that  is  made  to  accommodate  itself  to  the 
powers  of  comprehension  in  the  individual  begins  and  ends  no 
where,  for,  as  has  been  shown,  the  power  of  comprehension  is 
constantly  changing  and  necessarily  the  faith  must  change  with 
it.  The  faith  that  is  based  on  reason  alone,  as  reason  is  defined 
by  the  so-called  reformers,  is  in  the  highest  sense  unreasonable, 
for  it  has  no  stability  and  cannot  be  imparted  to  others.  No  man 
can  teach  a  faith  that  has  such  narrow  limitations,  neither  can 
he  inspire  faith  in  his  reason,  for  to  inspire  faith  in  his  reason  he 
must  have  reason  in  his  fakh. 

The  Jews  in  America  cannot  with  safety  permit  the  demoral 
ization  which  exists  in  their  synagogues  to  continue.  If  they 
desire  to  preserve  their  ancient  religion  and  impart  it  to  their 
children,  they  must  insist  that  their  spiritual  leaders  shall  define 
that  religion,  adhere  to  it  themselves,  and  teach  it  to  the  con 
gregants.  Such  a  demand  made  by  the  members  of  each  congre 
gation  upon  their  respective  ministers  will,  doubtless,  result  in 
much  temporary  demoralization,  acrimony  and  strife.  Many  of 
those  who  are  now  posing  as  Jewish  Rabbis  will  doubtless  find 
that  they  must  recede  from  some  of  the  positions  they  have  held, 
or  must  separate  themselves  from  Judaism.  But  when  that  is 
accomplished  we  will  no  longer  see  the  sacred  doctrines  of  Juda 
ism  assailed  from  Jewish  pulpits  to  Jewish  hearers  by  so-called 
Jewish  Rabbis.  Time  and  again  have  the  priests  among  the  Jews 
taught  false  doctrines ;  time  and  again  they  have  been  compelled 


88  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

to  recant  or  depart  from  the  Jewish  fold.  When  Ezra  came  he 
found  the  law  being  violated  by  the  priests,  and  disregarded  by 
the  people,  and  with  the  aid  of  Nehemiah,  he  drove  out  the  false 
priests  and  led  the  people  back  to  an  observance  of  the  law.  His 
tory  repeats  itself  and  in  this  country  there  will  arise  some  one 
who,  animated  with  the  spirit  that  governed  the  life  of  Ezra,  will 
point  out  to  the  people  wherein  they  are  disregarding  the  law, 
and  by  inspiring  the  people  with  love  and  obedience  for  the  law, 
will  cause  them  to  scourge  from  the  pulpits  the  false  priests  who 
are  scandalizing  the  ancient  faith.  The  people  are  ripe  for  the 
coming  of  such  a  leader.  They  have  come  to  distrust  their  Rab 
bis.  They  have  come  to  regard  with  indifference  the  doctrines 
which  are  preached  from  the  pulpit.  They  find  themselves  unable 
to  teach  morality  to  their  children  except  upon  grounds  of  ex 
pediency.  They  find  in  short  that  they  have  departed  from  their 
ancient  bearings,  and  are  drifting  without  rudder  or  compass ; 
they  are  beginning  to  look  coldly  upon  Rabbis  who  recommend 
themselves  almost  exclusively  by  their  skill  in  oratory,  by  their 
grace  of  diction,  by  their  capacity  to  entertain,  but  who  are  want 
ing  in  the  true  elements  of  the  ideal  Rabbi.  The  ideal  Rabbi, 
for  whose  coming  they  are  longing,  will  be  a  man  imbued  with 
a  perfect  faith  in  God's  law  as  written  in  Torah;  he  will  study 
it  with  a  broad  and  liberal  mind,  seeking  always  to  comprehend 
the  will  of  the  Creator  to  the  end  that  he  may  observe  it ;  he  will 
be  imbued  with  this  faith  and  filled  with  this  understanding,  de 
voting  himself  to  teaching  and  practicing  the  ancient  religion,  not 
as  a  mere  matter  of  form,  but  as  a  vital  and  forceful  agency  to 
accomplish  the  true  development  of  man's  highest  nature.  To  him 
eloquence  will  consist  in  deeds,  not  words ;  to  him  entertainment 
will  only  be  an  incident  to  instruction;  to  him  theology  only  an 
aid  to  piety ;  to  him  ceremonies  will  be  divinely  ordered  means  to 
a  divinely  ordered  end;  to  him  the  human  intellect  will  be  in 
finitely  small  compared  with  the  infinite  mind  of  God ;  to  him  man 
will  be  most  clearly  distinguished  from  the  animal  in  that  he 
has  received  by  revelation  the  will  of  God.  Such  a  man  believing, 
following,  teaching  and  practicing  the  doctrine,  the  rites  and  the 
ceremonies  of  Judaism,  will  stand  forth  before  the  eyes  of  the 


JUDAISM     IN     AMERICA.  89 

Jews  as  a  leader  to  be  followed.  Around  him  will  be  gathered 
disciples  eager  to  learn  and  eager  to  follow,  and  the  multitude 
will  take  from  his  lips,  and  from  the  lips  of  his  disciples,  the 
truths  which  have  been  hidden  from  them  so  long.  And  as  in 
the  days  of  Ezra,  after  many  years  of  indifference,  the  people  will 
gather  in  the  temples  to  pray  with  a  truly  worshipful  spirit.  It 
is  only  then  that  the  doubts,  the  vexations,  the  groanings  of  spirit 
which  now  so  commonly  manifest  themselves  among  the  people 
will  disappear,  then  will  the  people  rest  their  doubts,  their  diffi 
culties  and  their  troubles  upon  the  altar  of  their  faith,  accepting 
whatever  betides  as  the  will  of  their  Creator.  With  Edwin  Booth, 
each  man  will  then  consider  "That  life  is  a  great  big  spelling  book, 
and  on  every  page  we  turn  the  words  grow  harder  to  understand 
the  meaning  of,  but  there  is  a  meaning,  and  when  the  last  leaf 
flops  over  we  will  know  the  whole  lesson  by  heart." 


WHAT  SHALL  BECOME  OF  THE  JEWS. 

One  of  the  most  interesting,  important  and  unsettled  prob 
lems  which  thfs  century  will  hand  over  for  solution  to  the  next, 
is  known  as  the  Jewish  question* 

Occasionally  we  hear  protests,  more  or  less  vigorous,  against 
the  existence  of  such  a  question  and  the  discussion  thereof  is 
decried  as  unwarranted  by  the  conditions  that  obtain.  More  fre 
quently  we  observe  a  disposition  to  suppress  discussion  by  those 
who  regard  the  question  as  the  Ancient  Sicilians  did  the  lake  of 
Kamarina.  But  as  a  rule  the  matter  is  neither  ignored  nor 
avoided.  Students,  scholars,  philosophers  and  statesmen  of  all 
classes  and  creeds  have  taken  it  up  with  more  or  less  earnestness 
and  have  treated  it  from  various  standpoints  and  in  various 
moods. 

So  long  as  the  question  remains  unsettled  it  may  safely  be 
assumed  that  those  who  are  addressing  themselves  to  its  consid 
eration  have  found  no  common  ground  from  which  to  study  it. 
The  wide  differences  that  exist  and  the  controversies  that  rage 
over  great  problems,  do  not  result  so  much  from  varying  proc 
esses  of  thought,  as  from  separate  points  of  view.  Whenever 
there  is  a  consensus  as  to  the  proper  point  of  view  the  solution 
is  as  prompt  and  easy  as  the  reading  of  a  puzzle  picture  when  the 
clue  is  found. 

That  the  problem  is  yet  unsettled  is  a  statement  requiring  no 
argument  or  testimony  for  its  support.  That  it  is  interesting 
is  attested  by  the  fact  that  in  the  periodicals  and  newspapers  of 
every  civilized  counry  it  is  discussed  by  thinkers  to  satisfy  a  de 
mand  on  the  part  of  countless  readers.  That  it  is  important  is 
equally  well  evidenced.  The  life  purpose  of  such  a  man  as 
Pobiedonotseff  in  Russia,  as  Stoecker  or  Ahlwardt  in  Germany 
and  of  Drumont  in  France  and  the  turmoil  each  has  produced 
or  augmented  prove  how  deep  the  question  reaches  and  how  far 
it  extends. 

90 


WHAT   SHALL   BECOME   OF   THE   JEWS.  QI 

What  is  the  problem,  and  how  shall  we  approach  it  to  arrive 
at  a  correct  solution? 

This  is  a  thinking,  generalizing,  classifying  and  regulating  era. 
Education  has  spread  far  and  wide.  History  has  been  studied  to 
find  a  philosophy  of  causation  in  the  events  which  history  chron 
icles.  Existing  civilization  is  traced  back  to  its  very  roots,  nay  to 
the  seed  from  which  germinated  root,  stem,  flower  and  fruit. 
Influences  that  have  operated  in  the  development  of  that  civiliza 
tion  or  which  have  impeded  it,  those  which  have  made  the  world 
better  or  worse,  have  -been  scrutinized  and  classified  and  accord 
ing  to  the  judgment  of  the  particular  thinker  and  student  com 
mended  for  culture  or  condemned  to  destruction. 

In  the  course  of  this  investigation  the  Jew  has  not  been 
overlooked.  Indeed  he  has  obtruded  himself  not  a  little  on  others 
besides  thinkers  and  students.  He  is  everywhere  in  evidence. 
He  sells  vodki,  practices  usury,  trades  and  toils  in  Russia;  he 
matches  his  cunning  against  Moslem  and  Greek  in  Turkey; 
he  fights  for  existence  and  endures  martyrdom  in  the  Balkan 
provinces ;  he  crowds  the  professions,  the  arts,  the  market  place, 
the  bourse  and  the  army  of  France,  England,  Austria  and  Ger 
many;  he  has  invaded  every  calling  in  America  and  everywhere 
he  is  seen  and  what  is  more  to  the  point,  he  is  felt.  He  is  not 
sufficiently  numerous  or  powerful  to  be  in  anybody's  way,  but 
whenever  a  prize  is  hung  up  for  superiority  in  anything,  he  enters 
the  list  against  the  world  and  somehow  and  somewhere  he  wins 
it.  He  has  contended  against  odds  and  numbers,  against  public 
prejudice  and  governmental  regulations,  but  he  has  uniformly  tri 
umphed  in  the  end  by  virtue  of  that  inflexible  law  which  bestows 
the  palm  of  success  to  him  who  grasps  and  maintains  it. 

He  runs  throughout  the  entire  length  of  history  as  a  thin  but 
well  defined  line  touched  by  the  high  lights  of  great  events  at 
almost  every  point.  Albeit  an  integral  part  of  the  situation  in 
which  he  takes  his  place,  with  a  nation  of  his  own  and  scat 
tered  from  his  race-fellows  he  has  never  so  far  departed  from  in 
herited  doctrines,  rites,  customs  and  habits  as  to  lose  his  indi 
viduality  as  a  Jew.  He  forms  what  has  happily  been  called  a 
Peculiar  People. 


92  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

The  Jews  have  not  materially  increased  or  diminished  in  num 
ber  for  two  thousand  years.  They  have  made  no  proselytes  to 
their  religion  and  have  not  as  a  people  yielded  that  religion  to 
persuasion,  argument  or  force.  They  have  imbibed  the  arts,  the 
literature  and  the  civilization  of  successive  generations,  but  have 
abstained  very  generally  from  intermixture  of  blood  and  have 
clung  with  unrivaled  tenacity  to  the  traditional  faith,  customs 
and  habits  of  their  ancestors.  They  have  infused  their  blood  into 
that  of  other  peoples,  but  have  taken  but  little  of  other  peoples 
into  their  own.  The  natural  increase  in  their  numbers  has  made 
up  for  the  losses  by  defections  and  as  those  who  wandered  away 
were  of  the  weakest  among  them,  those  who  remained  steadfast 
retained  and  transmitted  a  vigor  not  only  unimpaired,  but  con 
stantly  improving.  When  it  is  remembered  that  this  constant  bet 
terment  has  proceeded  from  an  initial  point  immeasurably  in  ad 
vance  of  any  competition,  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  why  the 
Jews  under  anything  like  equal  conditions  win  the  prizes  of  suc 
cess.  That  they  do  win  them  is  a  fact  asserted  and  admitted  by 
their  friends  and  their  foes.  That  they  exist  as  a  peculiar  people 
is  agreed  by  all;  that  they  will  not  voluntarily  surrender  their 
identity  and  individuality  is  not  disputed. 

They  are  here  as  they  have  been  for  centuries  about  seven 
million  strong  scattered  among  a  civilized  population  almost  an 
hundred  times  greater,  invading  every  field  that  is  open  to  them 
and  so  uniformly  successful  in  achievements  that  are  of  possible 
attainment  as  to  excite  wonder,  admiration,  envy  and  hatred. 

And  so  the  great  majority  stops  and  studies  and  thinks  and 
asks  what  shall  we  do  with  the  Jew  ?  And  the  Jew  noticing  the 
clamor  which  he  has  provoked  asks,  what  shall  I  do  with  myself  ? 
These  questions  are  easily  condensed  into  one,  what  shall  become 
of  the  Jew?  Shall  he  be  regarded  as  a  distinct  substance  in  the 
social  and  governmental  body?  Shall  he  be  treated  as  a  can 
cerous  growth  to  be  removed  by  the  knife?  Shall  he  be  permit 
ted  to  remain  by  tolerance  as  a  foreign  substance  in  the  body 
which  when  encisted  ceases  to  be  lethal?  Shall  he  be  wholly 
assimilated  or  shall  he  be  regarded  as  an  integral  and  proper, 
if  not  necessary  part  of  the  entire  structure,  performing  functions 


WHAT    SHALL    BECOME   OF    THE    JEWS.  93 

natural  to  him  and  profitable  to  all,  just  as  the  stomach,  brains  or 
heart  of  the  human  body  ? 

But  let  us  drop  metaphors.  Shall  the  Jew  be  exterminated? 
Shall  he  be  merely  tolerated  or  shall  he  be  accorded  recognition 
as  possessing  full  rights  along  with  the  highest  and  best  factors 
of  governmental  and  social  progress  ? 

The  general  question,  what  shall  become  of  the  Jew,  thus 
elaborated  presents  a  problem  which  the  twentieth  century  will 
have  to  solve. 

The  subject  has  not  yet  been  sufficiently  considered  to  be  en 
tirely  clear,  but  while  it  may  be  too  soon  to  announce  the  proper 
solution,  it  is  high  time  to  point  out  some  prominent  and  common 
errors  that  obtain  among  those  who  are  addressing  themselves 
to  the  problem.  The  initial  stage  in  every  public  problem  is  one 
of  partisanship.  It  is  only  after  the  earnestness  of  partisans  has 
attracted  the  interest  of  the  entire  public  that  impartial  minds  are 
enlisted.  Thus  far  the  Jewish  question  has  been  discussed  as  a 
rule  by  those  who  either  loved  or  hated  the  Jews  with  great  ear 
nestness  and  even  passion.  The  one  side  has  seen  nothing  in  the 
Jews  to  condemn ;  the  other  could  find  nothing  to  admire.  Each 
is  more  or  less  sincere,  and  each  equally  wide  of  the  truth. 

If  it  were  possible  to  organize  a  commission  of  thoroughly 
capable  and  impartial  minds  to  study  the  Jewish  Question  from 
a  standpoint  unaffected  by  bias  in  favor  of  or  prejudice  against 
the  Jew,  and  having  in  view  solely  the  good  of  society  at  large, 
it  is  safe  to  predict  that  the  result  of  their  studies  would  be  start 
ling  at  once  to  the  Jews  and  the  general  public. 

One  of  the  first  conclusions  that  such  a  commission  would 
necessarily  arrive  at  would  be  that  the  problem  is  in  no  sense 
local  and  herein  would  be  condemned  the  point  of  view  of  the 
great  Jew  haters  in  Russia,  Germany  and  France.  There  is  no 
evidence  whatsoever  to  indicate  a  desire  on  the  part  of  Pobiedon- 
otseff  in  Russia,  or  of  Ahlwardt  or  Stoecker  in  Germany,  or 
Drumont  in  France  to  improve  the  Jews  or  in  any  wise  to  make 
them  better  members  of  society.  On  the  contrary,  these  enemies 
of  the  "peculiar  people"  are  addressing  themselves  with  remark 
able  vigor  and  virulence  to  driving  the  Jews  from  their  respective 


94  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

countries.  To  each  of  them  the  only  acceptable  solution  of  the 
problem  as  they  see  it,  is  to  rid  their  countries  of  the  detested 
race.  It  remained  for  an  American  statesman  to  point  out  in  a 
single  sentence  the  error,  if  not  the  sinfulness  of  such  a  con 
tracted  view.  In  a  celebrated  message  to  Congress,  President 
Harrison  briefly,  but  tersely,  indicated  that  the  banishment  of 
the  Jews  from  Russia  was  a  matter  in  which  all  nations  were 
concerned,  because  when  the  Czar  of  Russia  ordered  the  Jews 
to  step  out  of  Russia  he  in  effect  bade  them  step  into  some  other 
country. 

If  the  presence  of  Jews  in  any  country  produces  a  disturbance 
resulting  in  a  national  disease,  it  is  not  only  unjust  but  unwise 
for  the  nation  so  affected  to  rid  itself  of  its  trouble  by  imposing 
it  upon  some  other  country.  To  do  so  would  provoke  retaliation 
by  which  the  trouble  would  be  increased  rather  than  diminished. 

Moreover,  the  remedy  is  as  ineffectual  as  those  prescribed  by 
Dr.  Sangrado.  For  it  will  be  found  that  the  patient,  rather  than 
the  disease,  will  succumb  to  the  drastic  remedies  employed. 

Considering  their  wide  dissemination,  their  extended  influ- 
encej  their  tenacity  and  endurance,  their  existence  and  their  future 
destiny,  the  Jews  must  be  regarded  as  presenting  a  world  prob 
lem  rather  than  a  question  affecting  only  particular  countries. 
Neither  is  the  problem  to  be  solved  by  collecting  all  the  Jews  in 
one  country  and  forming  them  into  a  nation.  The  movement 
projected  in  this  direction  during  the  past  few  years  will  certainly 
take  an  impotrant  place  in  the  history  of  our  times.  It  pos 
sesses  a  poetic  charm  and  a  sentimental  attractiveness  that  will 
win  for  it  friends  among  those  who  have  only  kindly  feelings 
towards  the  Jews,  and  the  enemies  of  the  Jews  would  hail  its 
success  for  obvious  reasons. 

But  a  colonization  scheme,  however  well  planned  and  ably  con 
ducted,  cannot  hope  for  success  without  colonists  thoroughly  in 
sympathy  with  the  movement.  For  the  present  at  least  it  may  be 
safely  assumed  that  the  Jews  as  a  rule  are  unwilling  to  enter 
into  this  project  and  those  who  are  desirous  of  embracing  it 
belong  to  a  class  which  has  everything  to  gain  and  nothing  to 
lose  by  a  change.  Those  of  the  race  who  have  established  a 


WHAT    SHALL   BECOME   OF   THE    JEWS.  95 

domicile  in  countries  where  they  enjoy  some  measure  of  liberty, 
are  unwilling  to  become  pioneers  in  a  movement  that  must  lead 
them  to  untold  discomforts,  privations  and  perils.  Perhaps  in  the 
course  of  time  the  Holy  land  will  again  be  peopled  by  the  Jews, 
who  may  erect  a  government  of  their  own.  But  even  if  this  result 
be  attained,  there  will  nevertheless  be  distributed  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  civilized  world  so  large  a  representation 
of  the  Jewish  people  as  to  continue  the  problem  as  it  now  exists, 
unless  it  be  settled  sooner  under  conditions  of  which  the  Jews 
themselves  form  a  part. 

The  impartial  commission  which  I  have  already  mentioned 
would  but  reflect  the  views  of  all  fair-minded  men  in  condemning 
those  who  are  avowedly  or  unconsciously  governed  by  prejudice 
against  tha  Jews.  There  is  no  safety  ki  following  the  views  of 
one  whose  judgment  is  clouded  by  prejudice  and  passion.  Men 
of  the  highest  talent  are  subject  to  the  infirmity  of  passion  and 
acting  under  this  influence  employ  their  natural  gifts  in  the  pro 
duction  of  brilliant  effusions  against  those  who  have  excited  their 
antagonism. 

A  partisanship  begotten  of  and  nurtured  by  hate  is  always 
unwholesome  for  him  who  exhibits  it,  for  those  towards  whom 
it  is  exhibited,  and  above  all  for  the  society  in  which  it  finds  a 
place.  Such  a  partisanship  should  be  frowned  down  by  all  those 
having  in  view  the  advancement  of  civilization,  and  indeed  in  the 
long  run  it  is  not  only  frowned  down,  but  is  put  down. 

Another  great  error  commonly  made  not  only  by  those  who 
are  antagonistic  to  the  Jews,  but  by  those  who  are  disposed  to 
be  fair  and  friendly  towa  d  them,  consists  in  this,  that  the  Jews 
being  recognized  as  a  peculiar  people  are  treated  in  their  entirety 
as  being  foreign  to  the  body  politic  in  which  they  dwell.  By  such 
thinkers  they  are  considered  altogether  objectively.  In  the  minds 
of  those  taking  this  view,  the  Jews  as  a  class  are  ranged  upon 
one  side,  the  balance  of  the  world  on  the  other  and  the  reciprocal 
rights  and  wrongs  of  the  two  sides  are  weighed,  to  the  end  that 
the  differences,  if  any,  which  exist  between  them  may  be  prop 
erly  adjusted.  If  the  Jews  constituted  a  nation  and  had  a  gov 
ernment  of  their  own,  they  might  be  regarded  in  this  light,  but 


96  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

when  it  is  reflected  that  they  are  scattered  throughout  the  world, 
domiciled  in  different  countries,  where  they  accept  the  burdens 
and  enjoy  the  privileges  of  citizenship,  it  will  be  readily  seen 
that  such  a  consideration  of  the  problem  is  illogical  and  unjust. 

The  Jew  of  France  is  if  anything  more  intensely  French  than 
Jewish.  The  Jew  of  Germany  is  as  much  imbued  with  the 
patriotic  ideas  that  have  made  the  German  Empire  possible  as 
any  subject  who  yielded  his  blood  to  form  the  cement  of  the' 
imperial  fabric.  And  even  in  Russia,  where  the  Jew  has  had  so 
little  to  kindle  his  patriotism,  so  intense  is  his  love  for  Russia 
that  he  weeps  at  the  very  thought  of  being  driven  from  her  bor 
ders,  even  when  he  is  offered  an  asylum  in  countries  where  he 
will  be  subject  to  no  restrictions  on  account  of  his  race  or 
religion. 

The  Jew  is  not  only  to  be  regarded  as  a  Jew  but  as  a  citizen. 
He  is  not  an  alien,  but  a  compatriot.  He  is  not  a  foreigner,  but 
a  native.  He  is  not  an  enemy,  but  an  ally.  He  is  a  part  and 
parcel  of  the  social  organization  amidst  which  he  finds  himself 
and  he  must  be  so  considered.  If  he  stood  apart  in  all  things 
from  the  civilization  in  which  he  dwells  society  might  well  inquire 
into  the  propriety  of  suffering  him  to  affect  that  civilization.  But 
he  is  already  a  part  of  it.  He  has  helped  to  build  it  up,  he  has 
in  a  large  degree  shaped  its  career,  he  remains  to  affect  its  future 
course,  and  when  society  addresses  itself  to  the  consideration  of 
the  Jew,  it  must  regard  him  as  an  integral  factor  of  itself,  so 
interwoven  with  the  general  fabric  that  anything  which  affects 
him  must  more  or  less  directly  affect  all. 

It  is  a  gross  error,  and  a  most  unjust  one,  to  consider  the  Jews 
as  a  separate  and  distinct  people  in  respect  of  any  matter  that  is 
not  distinctly  or  peculiarly  Jewish.  In  the  pursuit  of  any  calling, 
trade  or  profession,  pursued  along  legitimate  lines  there  is  no  wis 
dom  or  justice  in  regarding  the  Jew  in  a  different  light  from  that 
which  is  shed  upon  any  other  member  of  society.  It  can  be  of  no 
concern  to  the  consumer  that  the  producer,  manufacturer,  or  ven 
dor  of  an  article  consumed  is  a  Jew,  Mohammedan  or  Christian, 
a  Frenchman,  German  or  American.  The  prime  consideration, 
if  not  the  only  one,  is  the  price  of  the  article  as  compared  with 


WHAT   SHALL   BECOME   OF   THE    JEWS.  97 

others  of  like  character  and  quality.  So,  too,  it  can  make  no  dif 
ference  in  the  arts,  what  is  the  religion  or  race  of  the  artist,  nor 
in  the  sciences,  nor  the  professions.  The  music  which  delights 
an  audience,  is  neither  better  nor  worse  for  having  been  produced 
by  musicians  not  of  the  same  race  or  religion  with  the  audience. 

And  if  it  be  contended,  as  it  is  in  Germany  and  France,  that 
the  Jews  forming  a  small  minority  of  the  national  population 
practiclly  monopolize  certain  branches  of  learning  and  art  and 
commerce,  that  fact  is  rather  to  be  urged  in  their  favor  than 
against  them,  unless  it  can  be  shown  that  this  monopoly  results 
from  methods  peculiar  to  this  people  and  in  themselves  illegiti 
mate  and  hurtful. 

In  their  domestic  life  the  Jews  should  also  be  free  of  officious 
intermeddling,  unless  the  character  of  that  domestic  life  is  in 
jurious  to  the  public  at  large.  The  same  may  be  said  of  their 
religion  and  the  practice  thereof. 

In  short,  the  Jew  should  be  treated  as  any  other  member  of 
society,  as  possessing  full  liberty  to  seek  happiness  along  lines 
of  his  own  selection  without  any  restrictions,  except  those  that 
are  imposed  for  the  general  welfare  of  society.  This  principle 
so  manifestly  correct  is  undisputed  even  by  those  most  violent 
in  their  denunciation  of  the  Jews,  but  they  curiously  contend 
that  since  the  Jews  are  in  a  hopeless  minority,  the  welfare  of  so 
ciety  is  impaired  by  the  success  of  the  Jews.  It  is  argued  that 
when  they  monopolize  positions  of  vantage  in  science  and  art, 
in  the  trades  and  the  market  places,  they  exclude  others  represent 
ing  the  great  majority  from  those  positions.  If  this  argument 
were  not  persisted  in  with  so  much  force  and  received  with  so 
much  favor  it  would  scarcely  merit  attention.  A  few  questions 
addressed  to  those  who  offer  it  would  certainly  confound  them 
and  utterly  destroy  the  effect  of  the  views  they  advance. 

Will  it  be  seriously  contended  that  if  the  Rothchilds  had 
never  lived,  there  would  have  arisen  Christian  financiers  of  like 
eminence?  That  but  for  Moses  Mendelsohn  and  Spinoza,  there 
would  have  been  two  great  Christian  luminaries  in  the  philosophic 
world  to  fill  the  places  occupied  by  them?  That  if  there  had 
been  no  Heine,  there  would  have  arisen  in  Germany  a  poet,  who 


98  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

could  have  blended  as  he  alone  has  done,  the  Hebraic  and  Hel 
lenic  spirit?  That  but  for  D'Israeli,  there  would  have  been  an 
English  statesman  not  of  Jewish  blood  to  create  British  unity  and 
symbolize  it  with  an  imperial  crown?  That  Montefiore  and 
Baron  de  Hirsch  have  usurped  and  monopolized  the  field  of  phil 
anthropy  and  that  consequently  there  is  no  room  for  good  works 
on  the  part  of  other  people  ?  To  such  questions  but  one  answer  is 
offered,  to-wit:  That  Jewish  success,  which  excludes  all  rivalry 
is  due  to  certain  methods  of  the  Jews  that  cannot  be  practiced 
by  their  competitors.  If  this  be  true,  it  is  proper  to  inquire  what 
those  methods  are,  and  if  they  are  illegitimate,  they  should  be 
suppressed.  And  certainly  society,  so  largely  outnumbering  the 
Jews,  can  have  no  difficulty  in  putting  down  illegitimate  practices 
indulged  in  by  a  minority  to  the  detriment  of  society. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  those  methods  are  found  to  be  legitimate 
in  themselves  and  end  in  such  magnificent  results,  they  should  be 
emulated  and  followed  rather  than  condemned  and  suppressed, 
otherwise  society  at  large  will  practice  the  supreme  folly  of  which 
the  Greeks  were  guilty  when  they  ostracized  their  noblest  citizen, 
because  they  were  tired  of  hearing  him  called  just.  Civilization 
advances  upward  not  only  by  stepping  on  its  failures,  but  by  cling 
ing  to  its  successes.  It  advances  by  pulling  itself  upwards  to 
wards  those  who  are  in  the  front,  rather  than  by  dragging  the 
leaders  back  to  the  common  herd. 

The  Jewish  Question  is  not  to  be  solved  by  tolerance.  There 
are  thousands  of  well  meaning  people  who  take  to  themselves 
great  credit  for  exhibiting  a  spirit  of  tolerance  towards  the 
Jews. 

Tolerance  presupposes  inferiority  on  the  part  of  those  towards 
whom  it  is  exhibited  and  superiority  on  the  part  of  those  ex 
tending  it.  In  religious  matters  it  is  manifestly  a  proper  spirit. 
For  the  follower  of  any  particular  religion  is  justified  from  his 
standpoint  in  believing,  his  own  to  be  better  than  all  others,  and 
all  others  inferior  to  his  own.  It  is  absurd,  however,  to  accord 
to  the  Jew  superior  skill,  talent  and  wisdom  in  the  sciences  and 
the  professions,  the  arts  and  in  commerce,  and  then  forsooth,  out 
of  a  spirit  of  liberality  to  tolerate  him  in  these  walks  of  life. 


WHAT    SHALL   BECOME   OF   THE    JEWS.  99 

The  individual  Jew  of  an  inferior  mold  may  be  tolerated  by 
his  superiors  from  a  sense  of  justice  or  out  of  consideration  for 
the  people  to  which  he  belongs,  but  the  Jews  as  a  class  cannot 
be  tolerated,  unless  they  be  regarded  as  inferior.  The  charge 
of  inferiority  is  nowhere  brought  against  them.  Their  religion 
is  denounced,  their  clannishness  condemned,  their  disposition  to 
live  by  their  wits  rather  than  by  manual  labor  is  decried,  but 
mentally,  physically  and  morally  they  are  recognized  as  occupy 
ing  as  high  a  plane  as  those  of  their  competitors  in  the  same 
walk  of  life. 

In  Russia  where  the  religion  is  a  part  of  the  State,  there 
is  some  logical  basis  for  the  exhibition  of  tolerance,  but  in  coun 
tries  where  church  and  state  are  divorced  and  where  the  Jew's 
right  as  a  citizen  is  as  unquestioned  as  the  right  of  any  other 
member  of  the  community,  his  liberty,  his  privileges,  his  stand 
ing  in  society  must  depend  upon  his  own  merits  and  not  upon 
the  favor  of  others. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  Jews  should  be  justly  accorded  all 
the  rights  possessed  by  other  citizens,  it  should  be  because  as 
individuals  and  as  a  class  they  are  entitled  to  those  rights  and 
have  not  forfeited  them. 

If  the  Jews  with  justice  cry  out  against  persecution  and  pre 
judice  they  must  in  justice  recognize  that  they  must  claim  no 
favors.  If  as  a  class  they  are  sordid,  mercenary,  dishonest, 
unclean,  parasitical,  bigoted  and  unproductive  as  charged  against 
them  by  their  enemies,  society  has  the  right  to  protect  itself 
against  them  by  such  measures,  offensive  and  defensive,  as  are 
best  calculated  to  insure  protection. 

The  evidence  in  support  of  all  these  indictments  must  be  con 
sidered  and  weighed  and  a  verdict  based  thereon.  It  will  not  do 
to  invoke  any  high  sounding  principles  of  liberality,  tolerance  or 
equality  by  way  of  demurrer  to  the  accusations.  Every  society 
has  the  right  and  the  duty  to  protect  itself  against  harm  from 
without  and  within,  and  if  one  remedy  is  not  effectual  to  secure 
that  protection  others  may  and  always  will  be  employed  by  or 
against  precedent.  Civilization  is  always  progressive  and  invents 
new  methods  when  old  ones  fail. 


100  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

I  realize  that  in  America  such  expressions  on  my  part  are  apt 
to  be  denounced  as  inconsistent  with  the  genius  of  American 
government.  But  I  do  not  dispair  of  successfully  maintaining 
the  doctrines  just  announced  in  the  face  of  any  sort  of  opposition. 
It  must  not  be  forgotten  by  Americans  who  live  under  a  written 
constitution,  that  they  stand  almost  alone  among  the  great  peoples 
of  the  earth  in  their  reverence  for  form  in  government.  Else 
where  than  in  America  form  and  forms  in  government  are  of 
secondary  importance.  The  objects  of  government  rather  than 
clearly  stated  principles  are  avowedly  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
in  trans-Atlantic  and  especially  in  autocratically  governed  coun 
tries.  And  indeed,  however  much  we  honor  precedents  and  bow 
down  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  Federal 
Constitution,  we,  too,  if  we  do  a  little  healthy  thinking,  must 
come  to  see  that  forms  of  government  are  means  to  an  end  and 
not  in  themselves  ends.  And  so  this  axiom  may  be  relied  on  as 
always  true,  that  when  axioms  of  government  clash  with  its 
objects,  so  much  the  worse  for  the  axioms.  Not  only  is  this  true 
in  matters  of  government,  it  is  likewise  true  in  social  life. 

We  may  repeat  as  often  as  we  please  the  general  statement 
that  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal,  and  that  every  man  has  the 
right  to  life,  liberty,  property  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness  and  the 
worship  of  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience, 
yet  when  we  seek  to  apply  these  declarations  to  practical  life  and 
find  in  any  given  instance  that  they  enable  individuals  or  classes 
to  so  develop  their  own  careers  as  to  unjustly  interfere  with  the 
rights  and  liberties  of  others,  we  usually  find  grim  facts  standing 
in  the  way  of  mere  theories. 

The  principle  that  each  man  shall  so  use  that  which  is  his  as 
not  to  interfere  with  the  rights  of  others,  whether  or  not  it  be 
expressed  in  the  law  books  or  sanctioned  by  the  courts,  will  find 
expression,  application  and  execution  in  the  conduct  of  the  public. 

The  supeme  law  of  all  free  countries,  if  not  indeed  of  all  coun 
tries,  is  justice,  as  understood  and  interpreted  by  the  people. 
This  law  formulates  itself  through  the  legislative  branches  of 
government,  but  time  and  again  have  the  people,  impatient  of 
a  change  in  the  form  of  the  law  reasoned  above  and  against  these 


WHAT   SHALL  BECOME  OF  THE  JEWS. 

forms  in  order  to  accomplish  justice  for  the  time  being.  Much 
as  we  may  deplore  indignities  which  are  done  to  the  forms  of  the 
law  at  times,  we  cannot  close  our  eyes  to  the  fact,  that  whenever 
an  emergency  sufficiently  great  arises,  the  people  will  disregard 
the  forms  of  the  law  in  order  to  achieve  the  objects  of  organized 
society. 

The  Jew  scarcely  needs  to  be  reminded  of  this  truth,  for 
throughout  his  entire  history  he  has  rightfully  or  wrongfully  been 
subjected  to  persecutions  and  indignities  that  were  more  fre 
quently  in  contravention  of  law  than  in  conformity  thereto.  He 
has  never  been  able  to  shield  himself  against  oppression  and 
tyranny  by  an  appeal  to  the  law.  He  never  will.  His  case  must 
be  broad,  based  on  justice  per  se  and  not  upon  the  letter  of  the 
law.  He  must  submit  his  case  to  the  bar  of  public  opinion,  and 
it  must  be  tried  fairly  upon  the  evidence. 

If  I  have  dwelt  so  long  upon  this  subject,  it  is  because  I 
recognize  that  if  the  Jew  has  been  denied  so  much  that  is  right 
fully  his,  he  often  claims  more  than  his  due.  One  of  these  claims 
most  persistently  urged,  is  that  there  is  no  Jewish  Question;  that 
the  Jew  is  a  citizen  like  every  other  citizen  and  that  so  long  as 
he  abides  by  the  law  and  does  not  subject  himself  to  criminal  pros 
ecution  or  civil  action,  his  doings  are  beyond  legitimate  inquiry 
by  the  public  at  large.  This  contention  on  his  part  would  cer 
tainly  be  well  based  if  he  claimed  nothing  further  than  the  right 
to  live  in  peace,  but  when  he  demands  social  recognition  the 
whole  range  of  his  conduct  is  a  legitimate  subject  of  inquiry 
against  which  no  technical  demurrers  can  be  interposed.  When 
he  is  charged  with  being  sordid,  mercenary,  parasitical,  filthy, 
clannish  and  bigoted,  he  must  admit  the  testimony  in  support  of 
the  charges  and  if  he  cannot  refute  it,  must  accept  the  verdict. 
Nor  must  the  Jew  be  over  sensitive  about  the  inquiry.  If  with 
any  justice  he  can  point  with  pride  to  the  history  and  achieve 
ments  of  his  race,  he  should  be  grateful  rather  than  indignant 
at  being  classed  as  a  member  of  that  race. 

The  inconsistencies  and  the  unwisdom  exhibited  in  the  con 
sideration  of  the  Jewish  Question  are  not  to  be  found  altogether 
on  the  side  of  those  who  are  hostile  to  the  Jews.  If  those  who 


*02  LEG    N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

declaim  against  the  Jew  select  as  types  the  worst  representatives 
among  them,  it  is  too  frequently  the  case  that  those  who  declaim 
in  behalf  of  the  Jews  have  eyes  only  for  the  highest  exemplars. 
Someone  has  justly  remarked  that  the  truth  lies  between  extremes 
and  about  equi-distant  from  both. 

If  the  Jews  squirm  and  indignantly  protest  against  Shylock, 
Fagin  and  Svengali,  they  must  be  consistent  and  not  claim  as 
types  Scott's  Rebecca  and  Lessing's  Nathan  the  Wise.  The  cold 
truth  lies  in  this :  The  Jew  has  never  been  and  cannot  be  typified. 
Shylock  was  an  individual  and  was  pictured  truly  as  Shakespeare 
knew  or  imagined  him.  So  of  Fagin.  Dickens  was  conspicu 
ously  strong  in  pictures  from  low  life,  and  conspicuously  weak 
in  drawing  refined  people  of  the  upper  crust.  On  the  other  hand, 
Rebecca  was  the  picture  of  a  singularly  sweet  Jewess,  while 
Nathan,  the  Wise,  was  a  thin  disguise  for  the  great  Moses  Men 
delsohn.  No  people  can  be  fairly  judged  by  its  superlatives. 
The  Jews  are  not  and  never  have  been  as  a  class  on  the  high  plane 
of  Lessing's  hero,  or  the  low  plane  of  Shylock  or  Svengali.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  Christians,  Moslems,  Buddhists  or  any 
other  people,  nation  or  race.  It  would  be  silly  to  judge  all  the 
Chinese  by  Confucius,  or  all  the  Americans  by  Benedict  Arnold. 
A  race,  a  people,  or  a  nation  must  be  judged  as  a  whole,  and 
who  does  not  know  or  study  them  as  such  is  unfit  to  judge. 
When  the  Jew  hater  undertakes  to  judge  the  Jews  by  the  few 
unworthy  ones  within  the  range  of  his  acquaintance,  he  commits 
a  grievous  wrong.  When  the  Jew,  on  the  other  hand,  claims 
for  his  people  that  they  are  truly  typified  by  their  best  and  noblest 
exemplars  they  err  on  the  other  side. 

The  history  of  a  race  or  people  must  be  studied,  their  achieve 
ments  and  their  endurance  measured,  their  failures  and  triumphs 
compared,  their  difficulties  estimated  and  their  mission  under 
stood.  We  must  look  into  their  art,  science  and  literature,  their 
religion  and  ideas  of  government,  their  social  and  domestic  life. 
In  short,  we  must  grasp  the  genius  of  the  whole  by  a  close  insight 
into  the  average  or  type  of  the  class.  Then  and  not  till  then 
can  we  fairly  judge  where  the  people  or  race  is  to  be  placed,  and 
how  they  shall  be  treated.  These  will  be  judgments  based  on 


WHAT    SHALL    BECOME    OF    THE    JEWS.  IO3 

facts;  not  mere  outcries  of  a  sentimental  ism  pitched  as  the  case 
may  be  in  a  key  of  love  or  a  key  of  hate. 

The  Jews  doubtless  possess  many  virtues  and  many  faults  and 
these  virtues  and  these  faults  are  not  peculiar  to  them,  except 
so  far  as  they  find  an  emphasis  among  the  Jews.  They  are  a 
peculiar  people  and  certain  qualities  physical,  intellectual  and 
moral  are  emphasized  in  them  to  such  a  degree  as  to  be  regarded 
as  Jewish  qualities.  The  Jews  are  not  slow  to  claim  these  qualities 
as  racial  characteristics  when  the  qualities  are  such  as  excite 
admiration,  but  they  are  unduly  sensitive  to  a  criticism  which 
points  out  any  quality  attributed  to  them  as  Jews  and  which  is. 
an  impairment  of  their  reputation.  May  not  the  truth  lie  in 
this  suggestion;  that  the  success  of  the  Jew,  his  sobriety,  his 
temperance,  his  energy,  his  physical  and  intellectual  superiority 
are  all  due  to  a  certain  intensity  of  character  inherited  and  ac 
quired,  and  that  this  very  intensity  operates  upon  his  faults  as  well 
as  his  virtues  and  lends  to  them  an  emphasis  not  to  be  observed 
as  a  rule  among  other  people.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood 
as  advancing  this  as  a  proposition  which  commends  itself  to  me 
as  indisputably  sound.  It  does  occur  to  me,  however,  that  much 
might  be  said  in  support  of  it  and  that  in  any  event  the  Jew  must 
patiently  recognize  that  he  is  constituted  like  other  men,  is  sub 
ject  to  the  same  infirmities,  amenable  to  the  same  temptations 
and  liable  to  be  guilty  of  the  same  wrongs,  and  that  when  he 
proceeds  in  the  wrong  direction,  being  more  vigorous,  more 
talented  and  more  intense  than  other  people  traveling  in  the  same 
direction,  he  is  liable  to  go  further. 

And  this  might  well  be  admitted  without  any  disparagement 
to  his  claim  of  equality  with  or  superiority  to  any  other  people. 

After  all,  the  question  of  greatest  interest  is,  are  Jewish 
tendencies  more  generally  in  the  right  direction  than  the  wrong 
direction,  and  is  the  tendency  towards  good  developing  and  the 
tendency  towards  evil  diminishing,  or  vice  versa?  This  is  the 
question  in  which  society  at  large  is  greatly  interested  and  the 
Jews  more  so.  Both  must  address  themselves  towards  cultivat 
ing  the  tendency  towards  good  and  suppressing  the  tendency 


IO4  LEO   N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

towards  evil  and  in  this  will  be  involved  the  same  inquiry  as 
affecting  the  entire  body  of  society. 

I  say  this  because  I  feel  that  history,  both  past  and  contem 
porary,  will  demonstrate  that  while  the  Jews  as  a  class  have  often 
been  superior  to  their  environment,  they  have  never  been  worse. 
Both  society  in  general  and  the  Jews  in  particular  should  ascertain 
what  qualities  and  practices  peculiar  to  the  Jews  have  advanced 
the  Jews  and  made  them  better,  stronger,  more  talented  and  more 
virtuous  than  other  people.  And  since  like  causes  beget  like 
effects,  these  qualities  should  be  emulated  and  imitated  by  all 
Bother  members  of  society  and  on  the  other  hand  whatever  is  pe 
culiar  to  the  Jew,  that  impairs  his  vigor,  his  talent  and  his  virtue 
should  be  discouraged  by  society  at  large  and  eschewed  by  the 
Jews. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  here  to  enter  into  details  as  to  the  virtues 
or  the  faults  of  the  Jews.  I  am  not  addressing  myself  to  the 
merits  of  the  Jewish  Question,  but  to  the  standpoint  from  which 
it  should  be  considered.  I  venture  to  say,  however,  that  such  a 
commission  as  I  have  already  mentioned  would  point  out  in  the 
light  of  history,  that  in  the  march  of  civilization  the  Jew  has  been 
a  factor  for  good  more  than  for  evil ;  that  today  he  is  advancing 
civilization  more  than  he  retards  it;  that  he  possesess  many  vir 
tues  which  society  would  do  well  to  emulate;  that  there  is  in  his 
religion  nothing  of  evil  to  society  and  elements  of  good  beyond 
the  power  of  estimation ;  that  in  his  family  life  there  is  exhibited 
a  purity  of  sentiment  and  tenderness  of  relationship  and  devotion 
to  obligation,  that  is  nowhere  equalled ;  that  by  assiduity,  in 
tensity  of  purpose,  persistency,  energy  and  the  capacity  for  taking 
pains,  he  rises  to  heights  that  account  for  his  astounding  success. 

On  the  other  hand  they  might  with  justice  indicate,  that  hail 
ing  originally  from  the  Orient  and  having  been  compelled  for 
twenty  centuries  to  live  in  a  society  of  his  own,  debarred  from 
mingling  upon  terms  of  social  equality  with  the  highest  mem 
bers  of  society,  he  has  preserved  in  his  tastes  much  that  is  char 
acteristically  oriental.  That  his  intercourse  with  the  best  elements 
of  society  has  not  been  sufficiently  protracted  to  enable  him  to 
assimilate  the  refinements  of  taste  and  beget  a  grace  which  is  to  be 


WHAT   SHALL   BECOME   OF   THE   JEWS.  10$ 

found  only  among  those  who  for  generations  have  occupied  the 
plane  of  the  highest  gentility.  That  he  is  self -asserting  to  a 
degree  that  often  makes  him  obnoxious  and  that  he  is  very  sensi 
tive  to  criticism.  There  may  be  other  faults  that  might  be  laid 
at  their  doors  by  impartial  students.  Whatever  they  be  they 
should  be  received  with  patience,  considered  without  irritation 
and  corrected  with  that  resolute  spirit  and  intense  purpose  which 
friend  and  foe  alike  attribute  to  the  Jew.  When  the  Jewish 
Question  shall  thus  be  studied,  it  will  soon  be  solved.  The  suc 
cess  of  the  Jew  may  be  emulated  and  even  be  envied,  but  there 
will  be  no  effort  to  pull  him  down  simply  because  he  is  a  Jew. 
Neither  will  there  be  any  special  privileges  accorded  to  him  be 
cause  he  is  a  Jew ;  nor  will  he  be  left  free  of  criticism  and  adverse 
judgment  because  the  critic  may  fear  a  charge  of  prejudice.  In 
all  things  the  Jew  will  stand  as  does  every  other  citizen — upon 
his  merits,  achieving  such  success  as  his  merits  deserve,  suffer 
ing  from  such  failure  as  his  shortcomings  bring  about.  Then 
too  will  it  be  understood  and  recognized  what  is  too  often  now 
forgotten,  that  every  man's  success  in  the  main  must  depend  upon 
himself. 

In  all  the  affairs  of  life,  apparently  within  man's  control,  we 
are  prone  to  play  at  Providence.  We  love  to  regulate  everything 
so  as  to  bring  about  or  maintain  an  equilibrium  as  we  understand 
it.  If  one  is  too  strong  we  try  to  weaken  him.  If  another  is  too 
weak  we  try  to  strengthen  him,  always  having  in  view  to  make 
the  contest  equal.  Our  continued  failures  do  not  deter  us  from 
continuing  the  effort  and  perhaps  it  is  best  for  us  that  we  should 
keep  on  trying.  If  it  does  no  one  else  good,  it  does  him  good 
who  tries. 

But  in  the  race  of  life  between  peoples,  neither  individuals 
nor  governments  can  make  rules  or  change  them.  The  inexorable 
law  is  fixed  by  nature  under  the  guidance  of  nature's  God.  The 
track  is  broad,  the  course  long  and  beset  with  difficulties.  The 
racers  are  without  handicaps  of  any  kind.  The  start  in  the  final 
race  is  even;  there  are  no  favorites.  The  contest  begins  with 
the  tap  of  the  bell  and  ends  only  when  the  winner  comes  under 
the  wire.  There  is  no  "weighing  in"  to  test  the  weights,  and 


io6 


LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 


the  prize  goes  to  the  victor  without  regard  to  pedigree  or  age. 
Pluck,  speed  and  endurance  must  win.  It  may  be  hard  on  the 
beautiful  and  well-backed  contestants  who  lag  behind,  but  no 
heart-aches  of  defeat,  no  humiliation  on  the  part  of  the  loser 
should  impel  us  to  change  the  rule  of  the  race.  There  would  be 
less  elation  and  less  sorrow  if  the  prize  were  equally  divided, 
but  without  such  elation  and  sorrow  there  would  be  no  great 
contestants.  It  is  by  victory  and  defeat,  through  joy  and  sorrow, 
that  we  achieve  civilization,  progress  and  betterment.  The  battle 
to  the  strong,  the  race  to  the  swift  seems  cruel  but  it  is  the  law, 
which  we  would  not  change  if  we  could,  for  we  realize  its  lofty 
quality — it  is  Justice. 

The  application  of  this  law  to  the  relations  between  the  Jew 
and  the  civilization  of  which  he  is  a  factor  is  all  that  he  may 
ask  and  less  than  which  cannot  with  justice  be  accorded  to  him. 
Let  no  misguided  friend  of  the  Jew  ask  for  sentimental  favor  be 
cause  of  the  great  beacon  lights  in  history  upheld  by  the  Jews. 
Let  no  misguided  foe  of  the  Jews  turn  his  back  upon  that  history 
and  subject  them  to  oppression.  Let  justice  be  done,  equal  and 
exact  justice,  in  all  respects  equal  and  in  all  respects  exact. 


THE  INTELLECTUAL  AND  ETHICAL 
DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE 
AMERICAN  JEW. 

BY  LEO.  N.  LEVI. 

In  treating  of  my  subject,  it  becomes,  in  a  measure,  neces 
sary  to  consider  the  history  of  the  Jews  in  America,  for  that 
their  history  not  only  states  but  fully  explains  their  mental  and 
moral  evolution. 

Leaving  out  of  consideration  the  few  pioneers  who  came  to 
the  United  States  in  the  early  days,  we  may,  for  the  purpose  in 
hand,  say  that  our  children  compose  the  third  generation  of  Israel 
ites  in  this  country. 

To  the  end  that  the  progress'  achieved  may  be  made  clear,  I 
propose  to  examine  each  of  the  three  generations  in  turn,  and 
shall  endeavor  to  find  the  type  of  each  era.  The  difficulties  of 
such  an  undertaking  are  not  to  be  mistaken  or  disregarded.  The 
synthetic  process  by  which  from  great  numbers  we  form  a  typical 
representative  is  rarely  successful.  The  scope  of  human  observa 
tion  is  so  limited,  the  fallibility  of  human  discernment  so  common, 
and  the  critical  quality  so  rare,  that  very  seldom,  indeed,  is  a 
so-called  type  more  or  less  than  the  sum  of  the  impressions  cre 
ated  on  the  observer  by  a  few  elements  of  the  class  sought  to  be 
typified.  When  we  reflect  further,  that  the  deepest  impressions 
are  made  by  extravagant  characteristics,  we  must  recognize  the 
danger  of  mistaking  a  caricature  for  a  type.  This  danger  has 
been  realized  the  world  over,  in  respect  to  the  Hebrews.  Writers 
and  artists,  as  a  rule,  present  as  a  typical  picture  of  the  Jew  an 
exaggeration  of  the  worst  specimen  with  whom  they  have  come 
in  contact.  Thus,  in  literature,  it  is  common  to  find  the  Jew 
as  bent  in  form,  ugly  in  feature,  vulgarly  gaudy,  disgustingly 
unclean,  speaking  a  miserable  jargon,  wholly  wanting  in  cul- 

107 


IO8  LEO   N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

ture,  and  exhibiting  a  moral  corruption  that  passes  all  compre 
hension.     He  is  painted  as  a  low,  cunning  and  vindictive  crea 
ture,  who  cringes  to  power  and  domineers  over  weakness.     If 
any  virtue  whatever  be  attributed  to  him,  it  is  carefully  minimized 
by  looking  at  it  through  the  wrong  end  of  the  same  glass  which 
was  skilfully  employed  to  enlarge  his  shortcomings.     And  this 
process  of  depiction,  which  is  in  daily  use,  is  called  art.    If  the 
Jew  protests  against  being  made  the  target  of  unjust  prejudice, 
he  is  assured  that  art  loves  truth  and  eschews  prejudice.    He  is 
told  that,  like  the  camera,  art  represents  what  stands  before  it, 
registering  the  lights  and  shades,  the  straight  and  the  crooked 
lines.    Nor  may  this  be  gainsaid;  but  shall  we  call  them  artists 
who  clothe  virtue  in  the  garments  of  sin  and  "apparel  vice  like 
virtue's  harbingers  ?"   The  true  artist  seeks  and  finds  truth  in  its 
nakedness  and  purity.     Error,  though  tenacious  of  life,  yields 
at  last  to  time;  but  truth  is  immortal.    The  creed,  the  govern 
ment  or  the  people  that  is  permeated  by  or  built  upon  error  must 
inevitably  perish  from  the  earth;  and  whatsoever  endures,  de 
spite  the  destructive  friction  of  ages,  may  be  safely  credited,  in 
its  genesis  arid  its  career,  with  the  lasting  elements  of  truth,  that 
"tire  time  and  torture."    This  is  the  ultimate  of  all  criteria,  and 
where  shall  be  found  the  measure  of  the  test  save  in  the  Jew? 
The  prejudice  against  the  descendants  of  Israel  is  slowly  but 
surely  receding  before  the  march  of  genuine  enlightenment.    The 
nations  of  the  earth,  one  by  one,  are  coming  to  see  that  their 
numbers,  power  and  influence,  after  centuries  of  oppression,  evi 
dence  the  sterling  stuff  of  which  they  are  made,  and  denounce 
the  grotesque  knave  who  is  dignified  by  false  art  with  the  honor 
able  designation  of  the  Jew.     It  could  not,  without  disgrace  to 
the  world,  be  otherwise.     If  the  sordid  creature,  in  whom  the 
Israelites  have  been  caricatured,  typifies  the  race,  what  apology 
can  civilization  offer  for  Jewish  prestige  and  power  in  everything 
of  which  civilization  makes  boast?    Shall  it  be  admitted  that  in 
the  long  march  of  events  ignorant  cunning  has  triumphed  over 
intelligent  thought;  that  courageous  honor  has  yielded  to  craven 
depravity  and  that  free  and  manly  virtue  has  receded  before 
servile  sin?    Assuredly  not. 


DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE    AMERICAN     JEW.  IOQ 

The  Jew  is  neither  saint  nor  devil. 

He  never  was  more  than  man  with  all  of  man's  frailties  nor 
less  than  man  with  all  of  man's  aspirations  towards  the  divine 
ideal.  But  in  some  respect  he  differs  from  all  other  men  and  in 
these  specific  differences  are  to  be  found  the  true  elements  of  the 
Jewish  type. 

When  he  has  faltered  and  fallen  by  the  way  it  was  because  of 
the  human  weakness  that  at  times  forces  the  bravest  to  yield; 
but  in  always  rising  from  defeat  to  victory  he  has  displayed 
the  sublime  courage  that  he  alone  has  truly  learned  from  the 
sweetest  singer  of  Israel :  "Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  for  the  terror 
by  night ;  nor  for  the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day.  Nor  for  the  pesti 
lence  that  walketh  in  darkness;  nor  the  destruction  that  wasteth 
at  noonday." 

Let  us  then  look  upon  this  people  in  relation  to  our  subject, 
as  men,  moved  and  swayed  like  other  men,  and  only  differing 
from  other  men  in  the  characteristics  which  typify  them.  These 
characteristics  are  no  peculiarities  in  dress  or  speech;  they  are 
not  mere  idiosyncracies  of  manner,  nor  depravities  of  heart  or 
mind.  On  the  contrary  they  are  inherent  qualities,  modified, 
it  is  true,  but  not  radically  altered,  by  the  history  which  those 
qualities  have  made.  The  history  of  the  Jew  has  been  to  him 
like  the  banks  of  a  stream.  They  confine  and  mark  the  boun 
daries  of  the  current  and  in  a  large  measure  determine  its 
course,  and  yet  the  stream  makes  and  changes  its  banks  and  works 
its  own  passage  to  the  sea. 

The  Jew  began  his  career  with  a  mission.  To  fulfill  it  he  was 
endowed  with  certain  qualities.  He  has  met  obstacles  that  have 
impeded  and  delayed  him ;  he  has  been  forced  to  deviate  from  the 
direct  route  and  often  to  retrace  his  steps,  but  his  course  has  been 
as  unceasingly  onward  as  that  of  the  stream,  which  starting  from 
some  mountain  top,  channels  its  way  through  and  around  the 
loftiest  hills  in  its  journey  to  the  ocean's  level.  And  as  the  stream 
which  started  with  only  crystal  water  becomes  at  times  impure 
by  the  deposit  taken  from  its  banks,  so  the  Jew  whose  mission  is 
divinely  pure,  has  taken  on  dross  from  his  environments.  When 
normal  conditions  are  restored  in  the  current  of  the  stream  the 


IIO  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

impure  matter  is  precipitated  and  the  water  is  restored  to  its 
original  clearness.    Perhaps  it  will  be  so  with  him. 

Israel  was  chosen  as  a  nation  of  priests  to  teach  to  all  the 
nations  that  God  is  one,  that  his  commandments  make  up  the 
only  true  moral  code,  and  that  the  highest  virtue  and  therein 
the  greatest  happiness  is  only  attainable  through  the  worship 
of  God  and  the  observance  of  his  statutes.  For  such  a  stupen 
dous  task,  the  final  performance  of  which  was  then  and  is  yet  so 
remote,  no  ordinary  qualities  were  sufficient.  It  required  long 
preparation  to  fit  them  for  the  undertaking.  The  idolatrous  spirit 
which  again  and  again  made  them  forsake  their  Creator  had  to 
be  eliminated.  The  carnal  appetite  that  made  them  hunger  for 
the  flesh-pots  in  preference  to  liberty  had  to  be  curbed.  In  lieu 
of  the  cowardice  natural  to  newly  emancipated  slaves,  they  had 
to  be  invested  with  unflinching  courage.  But  they  had  able  and 
inspired  teachers,  and  after  the  prophets  and  sages  had  devoted 
themselves  to  the  great  work  of  education  we  find  that  this  nation 
of  slaves  had  become  indeed  a  nation  of  priests  fully  equipped 
for  the  grandest  mission  ever  imposed  upon  any  people.  Not  in 
vain  was  Moses  meek  and  Joshua  bold ;  not  in  vain  was  Solomon 
wise  and  David  eloquent  with  music  whose  cadence  has  not  yet 
died  away.  By  persuasion,  conviction  and  force,  with  music  and 
speech  and  fire  and  sword  the  education  proceeded  until  through 
out  Israel  there  existed  unwavering  faith  in  God  and  unfaltering 
observance  of  his  decrees.  The  Assyrians  and  the  Persians,  the 
Greeks  and  the  Macedonians,  the  Carthagenians  and  Romans  in 
turn  ruled  the  world  with  a  temporary  power  founded  solely  on 
prowess  in  the  field — but  the  Jews  alone  maintained  the  faith 
and  practices  upon  which  all  true  civilization  is  founded.  The 
Roman  arms  leveled  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  the  Roman  legions 
desecrated  the  temple  and  scattered  the  nation  of  Israel,  but  the 
fugitive  and  hunted  Jews  even  in  their  flight  hugged  to  their  starv 
ing  bosoms  the  divine  Torah.  Such  was  the  people  that  then  be 
gan  their  endless  wanderings;  the  saddest  story  in  history.  It 
is  a  story  of  murder,  robbery,  rapine,  oppression,  contumely  and 
debasement  to  which  the  Jews  were  almost  continually  subjected 
for  i, 800  years.  Church,  State  and  society  combined  in  unceasing 


DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE    AMERICAN     JEW.  Ill 

warfare  on  the  Jew.  He  was  allowed  neither  freedom  of  con 
science,  thought,  property  nor  person.  He  was  denied  the  pur 
suit  of  happiness  and  the  worship  of  God.  These  were  his 
environments  for  centuries ;  these  were  the  banks  through  which 
coursed  for  ages  the  limpid  waters  that  had  their  initial  flow  even 
beyond  Sinai.  It  is  not  so  amazing  that  the  stream  has  become 
more  or  less  impure,  as  that  it  has  not  been  dried  up  and  lost. 

How  beautifully  has  a  gifted  daughter  of  the  race  depicted 
the  martyrdom  and  debasement  of  her  people: 

"Day  long  I  brooded  upon  the  passion  of  Israel, 

I  saw  him  bound  to  the  wheel,  nailed  to  the  cross,  cut  off  by  the 

sword,  burned  at  the  stake,  tossed  into  the  seas. 
And  always  the  patient,  resolute  martyr-face  arose  in  silent  rebuke 

and  defiance 
A  Prophet  with  four  eyes;  wide  gazed  the  orbs  of  the  spirit 

above  the  sleeping  eyelids  of  the  senses 
A  Poet,  who  plucked  from  his  bosom  the  quivering  heart  and 

fashioned  it  into  a  lyre. 

A  placid-browed  Sage,  uplifted  from  earth  in  celestial  meditation. 
These  I  saw,  with  princes  and  people  in  their  train;  the  monu 
mental  dead  and  the  standard  bearers  of  the  future. 
And  suddenly  I  heard  a  burst  of  mocking  laughter,  and  turning 

I  beheld  the  shuffling  gait,  the  ignominious  features,  the 

sordid  mask  of  the  son  of  the  Ghetto." 

It  is  at  such  a  stage  in  the  career  of  Israel  that  the  history  of 
the  American  Jew  begins. 

When  persecution  had  accomplished  in  many  portions  of  Eu 
rope,  the  result  so  graphically  described  by  the  poetess ;  when  the 
most  prominent,  because  almost  the  only  apparent  characteristics 
of  the  Jew,  were  narrow  bigotry,  low  cunning  and  ignorant  su 
perstition,  a  new  light  shed  its  flickering  rays  upon  his  sombre 
fate.  Through  the  dark  and  squalid  alleys  and  into  the  dismal 
homes  of  the  Jewish  quarters  in  Germany,  Poland,  Russia  and 
the  Balkan  Provinces  crept  strange,  uncertain  tidings  of  a  country 
far  beyond  the  seas.  There  came  from  the  lips  of  ignorant  news- 


112  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

bearers  at  second  or  third  hand,  strange  rumors  that  there  was 
one  country  where  freedom  prevailed.  As  if  to  a  fairy  tale, 
bearded  men  and  hooded  women  listened  to  stories  of  the  Great 
Republic.  They  knew  little  of  its  geography,  less  of  its  history  and 
scarcely  anything  of  its  institutions.  They  had  not  heard  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence ;  they  did  not  dream  of  our  bill 
of  Tights  and  our  peerless  Constitution.  Scarcely  was  there  room 
in  their  shrunken  minds  for  the  idea  of  civil,  religious  or  social 
liberty.  But  as  tidings  followed  tidings,  there  quickened  in  the 
barren  souls  a  long  smouldering  aspiration.  They  thrilled  with 
an  awakening  love  of  liberty,  like  a  long  caged  bird  that  sees 
in  its  declining  years  its  prison  door  ajar.  The  stripling  whose 
bent  figure  thus  early  patterned  after  that  of  his  sire,  stood  erect 
under  the  glorious  inspiration  of  hope.  The  eye  that  glittered 
only  in  cunning  now  shone  with  the  lustre  born  of  lofty  ambition. 
The  youthful  breast  heaved  in  tumultuous  agitation,  and  the  slug 
gish  blood  leaped  from  the  heart  like  a  high  bred  charger  in 
battle.  And  when  the  first  exhilaration  had  subsided  there  re 
mained  a  determined  and  restless  purpose  to  seek  the  New  Jerusa 
lem.  The  love  of  home  and  kindred,  the  dread  of  strange  lands 
and  of  strange  people,  the  terror  of  the  sea  and  a  thousand  "hor 
rible  imaginings  "  had  to  be  overcome  before  the  youth  could  make 
the  grand  venture.  But  the  hour  came.  The  mother's  tears  were 
exhausted,  the  father's  misgivings  were  quieted,  the  farewell  ca 
resses  and  blessings  were  bestowed,  and  the  adventurer  crept  from 
his  home  with  the  humility  of  a  slave  in  his  demeanor,  but  the 
spirit  of  a  hero  in  his  bosom.  We  can  fancy  him  now  in  his 
grotesque  attire,  plodding  along  the  highway  to  the  seaside,  car 
rying  his  humble  wardrobe  in  his  modest  bundle,  and  husband 
ing  every  penny  lest  the  scanty  store  should  not  suffice  to  secure 
him  a  steerage  passage.  We  can  see  him  embarking  on  a  journey, 
to  him  as  fearful  as  that  of  the  "world-unveiling  Genoese." 

A  transatlantic  voyage  is  now  a  trifling  matter ;  but  fifty  years 
ago  it  was  so  serious  that  only  emergencies  of  great  moment  were 
deemed  sufficient  to  warrant  it.  And  especially  was  this  true 
among  the  poor  and  illiterate.  There  was  neither  comfort  nor 
certainty  for  them  at  any  stage  of  the  long  trip.  They  were 


DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE    AMERICAN     JEW.  113 

cooped  in  the  filthy  holds  of  slow  sailing  vessels,  compelled  to  fur 
nish  and  prepare  their  own  food,  and  battle  unaided  with  the  hor 
rors  of  sea-sickness.  Small  wonder  it  is  that  only  brave  spirits 
dared  it.  The  Jew,  however,  rose  to  the  requirements  of  the  occa 
sion  then,  as  he  always  has.  He  triumphed  over  every  obstacle. 
He  made  his  way  to  the  seaboard  through  strange  countries,  and 
embarked  among  strangers  who  hated  even  the  name  of  Jew. 
He  survived  the  sufferings  of  the  voyage,  and  with  renewed 
hope  and  courage  set  his  foot  for  the  first  time  on  free  soil. 
For  those  who  have  not  experienced  it,  it  is  impossible  to 
properly  appreciate  the  extent  of  the  revolution  made  in  his 
life  by  his  emigration  to  America.  He  left  behind  him  every 
thing  that  was  calculated  to  degrade  him;  he  faced  every 
opportunity  to  elevate  himself.  Accustomed  at  home  to  re 
gard  himself  as  socially  and  politically  the  inferior  of  those 
about  him,  he  now  found  himself  in  an  atmosphere  of  liberty 
and  equality,  and  learned  that  neither  race  nor  "religion  barred 
his  way.  He  discovered  here  a  field  open  to  all  alike,  in  which 
the  highest  patent  of  nobility  was  unsullied  manhood. 

Such  a  change  was  worth  all  the  dangers  and  privations 
endured  to  attain  it,  and  which  would  not  have  been  braved 
but  for  a  consummation  so  precious.  It  was  not  a  mere  de 
sire  to  attain  wealth  that  induced  this  exodus  from  Europe. 
This  is  easily  demonstrated.  In  England,  France,  Italy  and 
Turkey  the  majority  of  Jews  were  then  and  are  now  poorer 
in  purse,  and  the  opportunities  for  the  acquisition  of  riches 
little,  if  any,  better  than  in  Russia,  Austria,  Germany  and  the 
Balkan  provinces;  yet  we  find  that  very  few  Jews  have  come 
to  America  or  gone  elsewhere  from  the  countries  first  named, 
while  from  the  latter  there  has  been  a  steady  stream.  In  Eng 
land,  France,  Italy  and  Turkey  a  measurably  humane  disposi 
tion  has  been  exhibited  towards  the  Hebrews  and  they  have 
become  attached  as  patriots  to  the  countries  wherein,  if  they 
may  not  rise  to  greatness,  they  are  at  least  not  driven  to 
despair.  In  Russia,  Germany,  Austria  and  the  Balkan  prov 
inces  they  have  been  subjected  to  all  manner  of  indignities 
to  degrade  and  persecute  them,  and,  in  consequence,  they  sought 


114  LEO   N»   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

for  avenues  of  escape.  These  indignities  explain  the  low  stage 
to  which  the  Jews,  subjected  to  them,  sunk.  In  no  other  way 
can  we  account  for  the  difference  between  the  Israelites  in  coun 
tries  where  they  enjoy  some  liberties  and  those  in  which  they 
enjoy  none. 

To  guard  against  misconception  it  may  be  well  to  remark 
that  not  all  the  Jews  who  came  to  America,  half  a  century  ago, 
were  from  the  countries  in  which  the  Jews  were  oppressed. 
Neither  were  those  who  came  from  the  latter  places,  all  ignorant 
and  degraded.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  were  immigrants  from 
all  parts  of  the  world,  and  not  a  few  were  distinguished  for 
learning,  character,  and  even  occasionally  for  wealth.  But  this 
minority  did  not  come  because  they  were  Jews.  They  came, 
as  many  others  did  for  change,  excitement,  love  of  adventure, 
or  the  determination  to  improve  even  upon  the  conditions  they 
left  behind.  It  is  not  proposed  to  deal  with  individuals  or  small 
minorities.  Neither  shall  I  undertake  to  describe  each  phase  of 
motive  or  character.  What  is  sought  is  the  mental  and  moral 
type  of  the  Jews  who  came  in  considerable  numbers  to  this  coun 
try  something  like  fifty  years  since. 

Composite  photography  is  employed  to  ascertain  physical 
types  by  an  extensive  system  of  averages.  In  physical  types  the 
most  frequently  recurring  and  most  prominent  characteristics 
will  impress  themselves  upon  the  typical  result.  In  this  delin 
eation,  likewise,  the  picture  takes  its  form  and  color  from  the 
most  frequently  recurring  and  prominent  characteristics  of  the 
European  Jews  who  first  came  in  numbers  to  America. 

The  result  is  dismal  enough,  although  not  devoid  of  commend 
able  features.  In  it  we  find  superstition,  religious  bigotry,  cun 
ning,  blunted  moral  perceptions,  rude  manners,  ignorance  and 
almost  a  total  absence  of  culture.  On  the  other  hand  we  discover 
thrift,  energy,  courage  and  hope,  and  underlying  all  the  peculiarly 
Jewish  qualities  of  quick  perception,  frugality,  temperance  and 
the  fullest  complement  of  domestic  virtues.  Such  was  the  Jew 
who  fled  from  the  narrow  limits  allowed  him  in  Europe  to  make 
a  career  amidst  the  boundless  and  countless  opportunities  that 
opened  to  him  here.  His  past  fixed  the  goal  of  his  ambition  by 


DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE    AMERICAN     JEW. 

comparison.  He  had  been  an  inferior  socially  and  politically. 
His  political  equality  was  granted  by  our  constitution,  and  he 
resolved  to  attain  social  equality  by  the  shortest  route  that  his 
wit  could  discover.  His  course  was  determined  alike  by  choice 
and  by  circumstances.  He  saw  at  a  glance  that  this  was  a  coun 
try  rich  only  in  natural  resources,  and  that  to  develop  these  cap 
ital  was  indispensable.  He  saw  further,  that  as  we  had  no  aris 
tocracy  founded  on  lineage  or  government  regulation,  that  suc 
cess  in  the  absorbing  employments  of  the  people  would  create 
the  society  of  the  future.  The  development  of  the  natural  wealth 
of  the  country  engrossed  all  attention,  and  he  who  should  exercise 
the  highest  influence  and  wield  the  greatest  power  in  this  direc 
tion  would  outstrip  his  neighbors  in  the  race  of  life.  Wealth 
was  the  avenue  of  power.  In  new  countries  this  is  usually  the 
case,  and  ours  was  no  exception. 

Circumstances  best  fitted  him  for  a  money-making  career. 
In  Europe  either  by  law  or  custom,  he  had  been  allowed  to 
pursue  no  other.  He  was  unfitted  for  the  learned  professions  or 
the  tilling  of  the  soil.  He  understood  something  of  commercial 
principles  and  was  an  adept  in  mere  trade.  Accordingly  he  be 
came  a  peddler  and  later  a  merchant.  But  the  resolution  to 
become  rich  did  not  carry  itself  into  effect.  To  fulfil  it  taxed 
his  energy,  thrift  and  wit  to  their  fullest  capacity.  Besides  he 
labored  under  many  disadvantages  peculiar  to  himself.  His 
dress,  his  manners,  his  language  and  his  strict  adherence  to  the 
forms  of  religion  all  impeded  him.  These  impediments  he  re 
moved  as  speedily  as  possible.  He  conformed  to  the  dress  and 
manners  of  the  country,  acquired  sufficient  of  the  language  for 
the  purposes  of  trade,  and  one  by  one  ignored  the  religious 
ceremonies  that  proved  inconvenient.  When  we  consider  that 
he  had  no  social  obligations,  no  political  ambition,  no  extravagant 
personal  habits,  and  that  he  was  frugal,  industrious  and  shrewd, 
we  shall  understand  how  readily  he  succeeded  in  his  chosen  ca 
reer.  His  early  success  was  fruitful  of  mischief.  It  changed  the 
goal  of  his  desires.  He  had  sought  wealth  as  "a  stepping  stone 
to  higher  things,"  but  he  became  intoxicated  by  the  charm  of 
money  getting  until  his  ambition  now  grown  gross  by  the  food 


Il6  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

on  which  it  had  fed,  looked  upon  wealth  itself,  as  its  highest 
aspiration.  He  toiled  and  schemed  only  for  money  and  he  felt, 
if  he  did  not  exhibit,  contempt  for  all  occupations  that  did  not 
lead  to  wealth.  He  identified  riches  with  happiness  and  sought 
them  as  eagerly  as  ever  the  alchemist  sought  the  elixir  of  life. 
Then  well  nigh  perished  that  precious  essence  of  the  ideal  that 
has  ever  pervaded  the  Jewish  nature  and  emphasized  its  dif 
ference  from  all  others.  It  was  this  idealism  that  sustained  the 
Jew  amid  the  severest  of  his  trials  and  to  which  he  ever  had 
resort  for  consolation.  When  driven  to  practice  his  religion  in 
secret  and  therein  find  his  only  solace  for  sorrow,  he  drew  upon 
his  oriental  imagination  for  a  symbolism  that  appealed  to  his 
ideal  emotions.  Thus  there  had  slowly  but  steadily  accumu 
lated  for  his  observance  a  countless  number  of  rites  and  cere 
monies,  which,  originally  introduced  to  satisfy  his  emotional 
nature,  had  come  to  be  regarded  as  obligatory  upon  his  con 
science.  Nothing  saved  many  of  these  practices  from  being 
ludicrous,  but  the  sincerity  and  earnestness  of  their  observance. 
When  we  consider  how  sudden  a  revolution  occurred  in  the  lives 
of  the  first  Jewish  immigrants  to  America  we  shall  better  un 
derstand  some  of  its  results.  At  no  time  has  the  history  of  the 
Jews  been  separable  from  the  history  of  Judaism.  Whether  the 
connection  between  the  doctrines  of  that  ancient  religion  and 
the  people  to  whom  they  were  given,  be  divinely  ordained  and 
therefore  absolute,  or  not,  certain  it  is  that  thus  far  the  race 
and  the  religion  have  been  so  fused,  as  it  were,  that  none 
can  say  just  where  the  one  begins  and  the  other  leaves  off. 
Judaism  has  always  been  not  only  a  part  of  every  Jew's  life, 
but  of  every  event  in  it.  Thus  it  was  an  integral  part  of  the 
thought,  philosophy  and  education  of  those  who  came  to  this 
country  until  after  they  had  become  Americans.  But  no  sooner 
had  their  minds  quickened  with  the  new  civilization  and  their 
eyes  opened  to  the  new  deliverance  than  an  anti-climax  oc 
curred.  Here  was  life,  bustle,  achievement;  here  was  an  open 
field  for  energy  and  ambition  where  the  race  was  to  the  swift, 
and  the  battle  to  the  strong.  Time  was  too  precious  to  devote 
to  ceremonies  that  consumed  the  half  of  it  almost,  and  thus 


DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE    AMERICAN     JEW.  117 

trenched  upon  the  opportunities  for  success.  Besides,  the  views 
generated  by  the  broad  scope  of  the  new  career  condemned  one 
by  one  the  rabbinical  ordinances  imposed  as  they  were  for  ends 
that  they  had  outlived.  The  logical  process  by  which  these  hith 
erto  sacred  obligations  were  laid  aside,  if  not  accurate  was  force 
ful,  quick  and  ruthless.  No  pause  was  indulged  in  to  analyze  the 
differences  between  essentials  and  non-essentials.  Consistency 
was  elevated  above  all  other  considerations,  and  having  recon 
ciled  himself  to  a  disregard  of  some  part  of  his  religion,  the  Jew 
deemed  it  due  to  consistency  that  he  should  ignore  almost,  if  not 
all,  of  it.  But  this  did  not  endure  long.  The  immigrant,  like  the 
balance  of  mankind,  was  a  social  animal.  He  required  for  his 
happiness  home,  wife  and  children.  Not  for  always  could  he  con 
tent  himself  with  sleeping  in  barns  and  under  hedgerows;  not 
for  always  could  he  endure  the  half  hidden  contempt  of  his  fel- 
lowmen  without  a  longing  for  some  sphere  in  which  he  was  the 
peer  of  his  fellows.  Then  arose  the  family  relation,  and  the  in 
fluence  of  the  mothers  in  Israel  became  apparent.  It  communi 
cated  itself  to  the  home,  and  the  heap  of  ashes  which  marked  the 
ruins  of  his  religion  received  repentant  and  longing  glances  from 
the  husband  and  father.  Not  only  this,  but  in  his  home  where 
comfort  prevailed  there  seemed  a  spectre  of  rebuke.  In  the  still 
ness  of  the  night,  at  the  festive  board,  at  the  bedside  of  the  sick 
and  dying,  at  births  and  marriages  and  burials,  a  voice  that  was 
storm-driven  across  seas  uttered  ominously  in  his  ears  the  com 
mand  to  "Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother  that  thy  days  may 
be  long  in  the  land."  Nor  did  the  voice  cease  when  gifts  were 
sent  to  aged  parents  to  make  the  poverty  that  saddened  their  lives 
disappear.  It  continued  to  sound  until  at  last  when  the  restless 
heart  cried  out,  "What  is  it  I  must  do?"  the  voice  changed  to  the 
tender  accents  of  dying  fathers  and  mothers  wafted  softly  over 
the  bosom  of  the  deep :  "Hear  Oh,  Israel  the  Eternal  is  our  God, 
the  Eternal  is  One."  Honor  us  in  loving  the  Lord  "with  all  your 
heart  and  all  your  soul  and  all  your  might."  Then  amid  the  cold 
ashes  of  the  discarded  religion  was  sought  the  divine  spark  of 
truth  that  yielded  not  to  the  agencies  that  could  destroy  mere 
forms,  and  lo !  it  was  there  radiant,  vital  and  eternal.  Thus  was 


Il8  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

saved  on  American  soil  the  Judaism  without  which  there  can  be 
no  Jews. 

Its  influence  was  soon  apparent.  Where  it  was  possible  syna 
gogues  were  erected,  benevolent  societies  organized  and  schools 
instituted.  And  when,  because  of  differences  in  nationalities  and 
shades  of  belief,  discords  arose  in  the  house  of  God,  the  inventive 
mind  of  the  Jew  established  a  great  society  formed  upon  such 
broad  principles  that  in  respect  of  them  no  contention  could  arise. 
I  cannot  pause  even  to  outline  the  history  of  the  B'nai  B'rith.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  do  so  here.  I  only  refer  to  it  to  show  that  when 
the  pioneer  Jews  were  still  earnestly  engaged  in  making  money 
they  demonstrated  their  claim  to  the  highest  virtues  by  the  grand 
efforts  they  made  to  elevate  and  enlighten  their  fellow-men  and 
alleviate  their  sufferings  on  the  broadest  principles  of  humanity. 
There  was  much  in  the  first  generation  that  we  will  not  find 
in  the  second.  The  first  generation  brought  with  it  from  Europe 
some  qualities  that  have  not  been  transmitted  and  it  imperfectly 
acquired  some  that  were  born  with  the  second. 

I  have  already  sketched  the  type  of  the  first  generation  at  the 
time  of  the  landing  on  American  soil  and  in  some  respects  the 
effect  produced  by  contact  with  the  new  civilization.  The  picture 
would  be  wanting,  however,  in  one  of  the  essential  features  if  I 
failed  to  give  proper  prominence  to  one  effect  of  the  change. 
The  immigrant  as  a  rule  was  scantily  educated  if  at  all,  and  not 
infrequently  the  entire  sum  of  his  learning  did  not  extend  beyond 
the  Bible  and  the  commentaries  thereon.  Beyond  this  he  knew 
little  except  some  general  principles  of  trade  and  barter.  He  was 
unambitious  in  Europe  to  shine  either  as  a  scholar,  artist  or  man 
of  means,  because  as  a  scholar  or  artist  he  was  practically  denied 
a  career  without  becoming  an  apostate,  and  to  advertise  his  wealth 
was  to  invite  plunder  or  confiscation.  In  Europe  he  had  been 
inferior  to  every  rank  in  society  and  the  humility  natural  to  his 
position  had  degenerated  into  servile  deference  to  his  fellow  crea 
tures.  The  sudden  emancipation  from  such  conditions  was  be 
wildering.  He  exulted  in  his  freedom  to  an  extent  that  was 
rather  ludicrous  than  offensive.  He  became  pompous  in  the 
assertion  of  his  equality  with  all  men  under  the  law  and  vulgar 


DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE    AMERICAN     JEW. 

in  the  ostentatious  display  of  the  wealth  he  so  quickly  acquired. 
His  house  was  furnished  lavishly  but  with  little  taste,  and  he 
imitated  without  discriminating  judgment,  the  indulgences  rather 
than  the  essentials  of  polite  society.  Seeing  society  only  on  the 
surface  he  was  excusable  for  appreciating  only  its  gloss  and  when, 
as  he  thought,  he  had  successfully  acquired  what  he  saw,  he 
speedily  claimed  to  be  a  gentleman.  He  wore  good  clothes,  lived 
in  a  fine  house,  drove  fine  horses,  frequented  fashionable  resorts, 
gambled  and  dissipated  as  he  daily  saw  gentlemen  do,  and  in  truth 
believed  himself  one  of  the  elect.  His  children  were  taught  at 
home  to  dress  well  and  spend  money,  and  at  expensive  rather 
than  efficient  schools  and  under  fashionable  rather  than  com 
petent  masters  acquired  a  desultory  education  without  the  benefit 
of  parental  direction. 

These  children,  who  formed  the  second  generation,  grew  up 
with  uncertain  feelings  towards  their  elders.  They  had  been 
taught  to  look  with  admiration  to  the  polish  rather  than  to  the 
true  metal  of  society.  Their  minds  had  been  filled  with  an  exag 
gerated  idea  of  the  importance  of  wealth  and  an  underestimate 
of  the  frugal  methods  by  which  it  can  alone  be  acquired  with 
safety.  They  naturally  knew  the  English  language,  and  derisively 
laughed  at  the  jargon  of  their  seniors,  and  finally  they  were  left 
either  without  a  thorough  understanding  of  their  religion,  or 
were  so  confused  by  the  discords  among  theologians  and  the 
ignorance  of  their  parents,  that  they  looked  upon  religion  with 
lofty  unconcern  or  contempt. 

In  the  good  results  of  early  religious  training,  in  the  domestic 
virtues,  in  the  faithful  observance  of  the  marriage  vow,  in  the 
practice  of  temperance  and  in  physical  development  the  second 
generation  was  unquestionably  behind  the  first.  But  on  the 
other  hand,  the  child  was  born  on  free  soil  and  wore  his  freedom 
without  effort;  he  was  more  manly  and  more  scrupulous  in  his 
dealings  with  the  world.  He  was  better  educated,  more  refined, 
more  cultivated  than  his  sire.  His  good  clothes  sat  naturally 
upon  him;  he  knew  what  to  do  with  and  in  his  fine  house,  and 
he  learned  that  society  makes  polish,  and  that  mere  polish  and 
glitter  do  not  make  society.  Many  of  them  eschewed  trade  alto- 


I2O  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

gether,  and  devoted  themselves  to  literature,  science  and  art. 
They  became  actors,  painters,  musicians,  lawyers,  doctors  and 
chemists.  Indeed  they  made  a  vast  stride  forward  from  the 
position  occupied  by  their  immediate  progenitors — without  fully 
covering  the  ground,  however,  between  the  starting  point  and  the 
goal.  The  second  generation  derided  the  vulgar  claims  of  the 
first,  without  appreciating  that  in  kind  but  not  in  degree  it  was 
guilty  of  a  like  presumption.  But  what  of  the  third  generation? 

The  seed  has  been  planted,  the  grain  waves  green  in  the 
fields — what  will  the  harvest  be? 

We  are  the  husbandmen,  and  upon  us  rests  in  the  largest 
measure  the  balance  that  shall  be  struck  in  the  aftermath. 

The  influences  that  operate  on  every  plant  began  with  crea 
tion.  Climatic  conditions  and  changes,  seismic  disturbances, 
cyclones  and  tidal  waves  in  ages  long  since  forgotten,  have  all 
in  turn  contributed  some  factor  in  the  destiny  of  each  seed  that 
is  placed  beneath  the  sod.  But  the  immediate  and  almost  con 
trolling  influence  is  the  skill  and  energy  of  the  farmer,  who 
studies  the  surrounding  circumstances  for  lessons  of  wisdom  to 
overcome  the  almost  numberless  difficulties  that  occur  between 
sowing  and  garnering.  The  little  ones  who  play  about  our  knees, 
who  load  our  hearts  with  solicitude,  yet  lighten  them  of  sorrows 
— they  compose  the  third  generation.  They  are  the  tender  plants 
which  we  are  charged  with  carrying  to  fruitful  maturity.  Upon 
their  lives  influences  have  been  at  work  from  remotest  ages,  but 
with  us  still  rests  the  controlling  force  that  shall  shape  their 
careers. 

The  harvest  will  depend  upon  the  husbandman;  and  of  us 
it  is  thus  spoken.  Let  us  consider  what  we  should  aspire  to  do  in 
the  premises  and  how  our  aspirations  may  be  realized. 

All  parents  whose  natures  are  not  abnormally  corrupt,  desire 
the  success  of  their  offspring — but  few  are  agreed  as  to  what  is 
success.  In  the  eyes  of  some  it  means  wealth  or  power,  or  fame, 
or  learning,  or  several  or  all  of  these  combined.  By  a  minority 
only,  these  are  all  but  incidents  in  the  careers  of  the  young  with 
which  heaven  has  blessed  them.  To  them  wealth,  power,  fame 
and  learning  are  glorious  achievements  indeed,  but  not  the  end 


DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE   AMERICAN     JEW.  121 

upon  which  their  lofty  gaze  is  fixed.  Their  ambition  is  to  make 
their  children  rise  to  the  highest  plane  of  manhood  and  woman 
hood  and  deserve  the  praise  which  man  and  the  favor  which 
God  bestows  upon  true  gentility.  And  what  is  true  gentility? 
It  is  to  achieve  prosperity  by  honorable  effort,  to  attain  power 
by  the  influence  of  spotless  conduct,  to  gain  fame  by  good  works, 
to  acquire  wisdom  by  the  study  of  nature  and  of  nature's  God, 
and  above  all  to  refine  and  elevate  the  spirit  by  thinking  the  pure 
rather  than  the  corrupt  and  by  doing  always  the  good  and  never 
the  evil.  This  it  is  to  be  the  perfect  gentleman  or  the  perfect  lady. 

The  father  who  toils  to  lay  up  riches  for  his  sons  and  daugh 
ters  and  trains  them  to  guard  and  increase  his  store,  ignoring  or 
slighting  the  nobler  aims  of  life,  performs  a  sorry  service.  He 
gives  them  the  power  to  satisfy  their  carnal  appetites,  but  denies 
them  the  ineffable  sweets  that  are  enjoyed  even  in  poverty  by 
those  who  lead  the  intellectual  and  ethical  life.  And  what 
is  power  that  is  not  based  upon  and  guided  by  wisdom  and  love ; 
or  fame  that  does  not  attach  to  nobility  of  soul ;  or  learning  that 
leads  not  to  wisdom,  and  the  practice  of  virtue  ?  They  are  all  but 
the  outward  trappings  that  at  first  dazzle  the  beholder  only  to 
become  grotesque  and  hideous  when  closer  inspection  reveals  the 
contrast  with  what  is  thus  gaudily  concealed. 

If  you  would  make  your  children  successful,  train  them  to 
deserve  success.  If  you  would  have  them  be  rich,  teach  them  not 
only  how  to  acquire  riches,  but  how  to  use  them.  If  you  would 
have  them  powerful,  educate  them  to  attain  power  for  noble  ends. 
If  you  would  have  them  learned,  let  their  learning  be  so  achieved 
that  it  shall  lead  to  the  wisdom  that  so  often  lingers  stubbornly 
behind  the  course  of  knowledge.  If  you  would  make  them  suc 
cessful,  you  must  teach  them  to  be  happy,  and  to  be  happy  they 
must  be  honest,  truthful,  brave,  upright,  self-sacrificing  and  God 
fearing.  In  a  word,  to  be  happy  they  must  be  virtuous.  This 
truth,  though  trite,  cannot  be  too  often  repeated,  for  like  most 
truths  it  passes  unchallenged  and  unappreciated,  until  at  last  it 
dawns  upon  the  mind  that  therein  lies  a  treasure  undiscovered 
before. 

How  shall  the  lofty  ideal  which  I  have  pictured  be  realized? 


122  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

What  arts  shall  the  husbandman  employ  to  make  the  harvest 
bountiful  and  good?  I  answer  you  with  a  truth  as  trite  as  the 
one  just  mentioned — education.  Educate  the  body,  educate  the 
mind,  but  above  all  educate  the  heart.  I  cannot  present  any 
system  of  education  in  this  disquisition,  but  I  venture  to  suggest 
that  you  become  in  some  respects  the  teachers  of  your  own  chil 
dren.  Interest  yourselves  in  their  sports  and  pleasures.  Take 
part  in  them  and  give  them  such  direction  and  scope  that  will  pro 
mote  healthy  physical  development  and  divert  the  young  minds 
from  defiling  associations.  Assist  them  in  their  studies  and  make 
their  labors  agreeable  rather  than  irksome.  Stimulate  their  am 
bitions  by  rewards  and  overcome  their  discouragements  with 
sympathy.  Teach  them  by  precept  and  example  the  nobility  of 
virtue.  Nourish  the  sentiment  so  natural  in  children  for  the 
true,  the  beautiful  and  good.  Teach  them  self-denial,  truthful 
ness,  honesty,  courage,  charity  and  piety.  Let  no  incident,  how 
ever  trivial,  go  by  without  making  it  leave  upon  their  impres 
sionable  minds  some  lesson  of  wisdom  or  goodness. 

Is  this  asking  too  much  of  fathers  who  have  the  cares  of  busi 
ness,  and  of  mothers  occupied  by  the  duties  of  housekeeping? 
Perhaps  so  if  the  business  or  the  house  is  to  be  set  up  as  a  fetich 
to  which  the  little  ones  are  offered  as  sacrifices.  But  if  you  pursue 
your  occupation  or  keep  your  house  for  your  children's  sake,  as 
you  should,  then  whenever  one  must  suffer,  spare  the  children. 
Do  not  embellish  a  cage  in  which  to  imprison  their  natures;  do 
not  feed  their  stomachs  with  rich  food  and  keep  their  minds  and 
hearts  on  starvation  diet. 

To  paint  the  first  and  second  generation  has  been  a  compara 
tively  easy  task.  To  point  the  way  for  the  third  has  not  been 
more  difficult;  but  to  foretell  its  fate  would  require  the  gift  of 
prophecy.  I  am,  however,  full  of  hope.  Under  normal  or  favor 
able  conditions  the  Jews  have  always  advanced,  and  I  anticipate 
no  exception  here.  The  second  generation  has,  in  many  material 
respects,  improved  vastly  on  the  first,  and  if  we  can  only  come 
to  see  how  far  we  are  below  the  standard  we  should  aspire  to, 
we  will  be  better  equipped  to  advance  our  children  beyond  our 
selves.  We  are  quick  enough  to  recognize  the  difference  between 


DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE    AMERICAN     JEW.  123 

ourselves  and  our  immediate  predecessors;  but  with  that  self- 
complacency  so  common  to  all  mortals,  we  are  slow  to  find  linger 
ing  in  us  many  of  the  shortcomings  of  our  ancestors,  not  to  men 
tion  those  that  have  been  derived  from  our  environments,  not  in 
herited  from  our  forefathers.  If  you  would  do  your  full  duty 
to  your  children,  first  learn  to  what  extent  you  have  failed  in  your 
duty  to  yourself.  Sum  up  your  own  qualities  of  head  and  heart, 
and  estimate  in  what  degree  you  would  have  your  children  sur 
pass  you.  Nor  is  this  all.  Study,  in  the  light  of  your  great  re 
sponsibilities,  how  you  should  demean  yourself  in  order  to  bear 
them  with  credit.  Remember  that  children  are  imitative.  Re 
member  that  they  will  copy  your  faults  as  well  as  your  virtues. 
If  you  are  indifferent  about  your  religion,  they,  too,  will  be 
indifferent,  and  without  religion  you  cannot  teach  the  only  char 
acter  of  morality  worthy  of  respect.  You  may,  indeed,  without 
religion  teach  honesty  by  pointing  to  the  prison  as  the  destiny 
of  thieves.  You  may  teach  regard  for  human  life  by  taking 
your  children  to  a  hanging;  but  if  you  would  make  them  love 
the  right  for  the  sake  of  the  right,  and  not  merely  eschew  the 
wrong  from  fear  of  consequences,  then  you  must  instil  into  their 
young  minds  and  hearts  the  great  principles  underlying  all  re 
ligions  and  furnished  to  them  all  by  the  Jews.  Remember,  too, 
that  if  you  would  guard  your  children  against  race  prejudice,  you 
and  they  must  rise  superior  to  it.  You  can  no  more  escape 
bigotry  by  shrinking  from  Jewish  designations,  habits,  customs, 
or  religious  practices  than  the  ostrich  can  escape  his  pursuers 
by  burying  his  head  in  the  sand.  Be  brave  and  teach  your  chil 
dren  courage.  Do  not  obtrude  your  race  or  religion  upon  public 
notice,  but  never  withdraw  them  from  the  eye  of  friend  or  foe. 
They  are  here,  parts  of  yourself,  and  you  stamp  yourself  an 
inferior  whenever  you  shrink  from  the  name  or  responsibilities 
of  your  people  or  your  creed.  Nothing  excites  such  contempt 
and  hatred  as  disloyalty.  The  military  leader  who  profits  by  the 
treachery  of  an  enemy,  while  loving  the  treason  despises  the 
traitor.  It  is  true  in  every  relation  of  life.  The  renegade  is  ever 
abhorred.  The  renegade  Jew  is  despised  by  all  broad-minded 


124  LEO   N-   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Gentiles  and  Jews   for  his  disloyalty,  while  the  fanatics  who 
induce  his  apostasy  contemn  him  for  having  once  been  a  Jew. 

But  there  exists  no  occasion  to  warn  Jews  against  apostasy. 
It  is  not  conversion  to  other  religions  so  much  as  indifference  to 
our  own  that  gives  us  pause.  I  foresee,  however,  a  better  era 
in  respect  of  this.  The  dissensions  raging  among  theologians 
are  being  settled  or  settling  themselves.  The  mists  are  lifting 
from  the  minds  of  the  laymen,  and  they  will  rescue  the  essentials 
of  Judaism  from  the  ruins  made  by  mere  destructionists.  Out 
of  the  chaos  that  reigns  there  will  emerge  the  vital  principles  and 
practices  that  have  always  made  Judaism  not  only  a  great  system 
of  philosophy,  but  also  a  matchless  religion.  See  to  it  that  you 
do  your  part  and  direct  aright  the  efforts  of  your  children.  Take 
pride  in  your  people  and  be  a  pride  unto  them.  Do  not  despise 
them  lest  you  be  despised  of  all  men.  Elevate  your  race  through 
yourself  and  your  offspring,  and  look  forward  with  hungry 
ambition  to  the  hour  when  it  shall  be  recognized  as  a  proud 
distinction  to  be  one  of  the  chosen  people.  That  hour,  I  con 
fidently  believe,  can  be  and  will  be  realized  in  America.  With 
all  circumstances  in  favor  of  us,  and  native  qualities  that  are 
unrivalled,  we  shall  progress  surely  upward  from  what  we  are 
to  what  we  should  be,  as  rapidly  as  we  have  risen  from  what  we 
were  to  what  we  are.  This  is  the  mission  of  our  children  and  our 
children's  children,  and  they,  if  not  we,  shall  live  to  see  the  time 
when,  in  the  eyes  of  ^11  men,  no  epitaph  will  contain  such  appar 
ent  and  eloquent  eulogy  as  the  brief  announcement,  "Here  sleeps 
a  true  son  of  Israel."  To  deserve  such  lofty  praise  is  greater 
than  to  wear  by  right  the  richest  crown  that  ever  rested  on  a 
royal  head. 


THE  AMERICAN  JEW. 

Synopsis  of  address  at  a  banquet  given  in  honor  of  D.  G.  L.  No. 
7,  I.  O.  B.  B.  at  New  Orleans,  La. 

It  is  a  singular  term.  It  carries  with  it  no  political  associa 
tion.  When  the  American  is  found  abroad  and  the  estimate  is 
made  of  him  by  others,  he  stands  as  a  representative  of  the 
country,  which  is  a  kindergarten  of  liberty  for  all  the  world;  he 
exemplifies  the  spirit  meant  by  Grover  Cleveland  when  he  said, 
in  opening  the  "World's  Fair,"  that  this  was  the  country  which 
made  men.  Gladstone  paid  tribute  to  the  country  of  3,000,000 
men  which  framed  an  organic  law  to  withstand  the  test  of  time, 
and  said  it  must  have  been  an  inspiration  from  God.  A  civiliza 
tion  has  been  builded  here,  which  despite  the  sneers  of  Europe, 
has  brought  all  nations  to  the  feet  of  Columbia  paying  tribute. 
This  inestimable  liberty  should  be  guarded  against  anything 
which  might  impair  its  beauty  and  its  strength.  It  is  a  country 
of  refuge,  but  those  who  seek  refuge  here  must  not  only  eat  of 
the  bread  of  America,  but  partake  also  of  American  doctrines. 
He  is  proud  of  being  an  American,  but  he  has  another  lineage, 
not  inconsistent  with  the  other,  of  which  he  was  equally  proud. 
If  there  was  inspiration  in  the  American  constitution,  how  much 
more  inspiration  must  there  have  been  in  the  code  written 
thousands  of  years  ago,  only  a  few  hundred  words,  which  fitted 
then,  has  never  failed  to  fit,  and  will  fit  for  all  time.  The  Jew 
gave  the  Decalogue  as  the  foundation  of  civilization. 

The  Jew  is  the  nobleman  of  all  time,  whose  lineage  goes  back 
before  written  history  to  traditions,  which  all  men  admit  be 
cause  all  men  know  them  to  be  true.  But  today  he  claims  Amer 
ican  citizenship  as  his  proudest  title,  next  only  to  that  of 
"American  Jew."  Four  hundred  years  ago  the  Jews  were  ex- 

125 


126  LEO   N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

pelled  from  Spain.  Four  hundred  years  ago  America  was  dis 
covered,  and  here  he  has  found  freedom  of  conscience  and  of 
action.  He  has  become  an  American  citizen  and  intends  to 
remain  one,  claiming  of  the  blessed  mother  of  liberty  those 
blessings  bestowed  by  her  upon  those  who  deserve  it.  He  of 
fered  to  her  the  testimonial  of  obedience  to  law  and  charity  ir 
respective  of  creed.  When  the  persecuted  Jew  comes  to  these 
shores  the  Jews  already  here  could  promise  that  he  would  be 
come  no  burden,  breed  no  disorder,  renounce  all  allegiance  to 
other  countries  and  devote  himself  to  acquiring  the  principle  of 
citizenship.  The  children  the  members  had  seen  today,  were  the 
hostages  that  the  Jews  would  rear,  good  citizens:  the  race  and 
the  religion  would  never  become  objects  of  barter. 

The  speaker  contrasted  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  from  Russia 
and  their  reception  in  America,  and  they  have  been  casting  aside 
their  disability,  so  as  also  to  deserve  the  title  of  the  "American 
Jew."  He  called  attention  to  the  twin  article  in  the  North 
American  Review  upon  the  "Sweating"  system,  which  spoke  of 
the  victory  won  in  New  York.  It  was  because  the  laborers 
were  Jews,  Russian  Jews,  and  the  article  said  that  it  was  because 
of  their  "dignity  of  endurance  and  courage  to  abide  by  the  law" 
that  they  won  their  fight  against  capital.  He  repeated  his 
own  experiences  with  the  immigrants,  who  were  given  the 
declaration  of  independence  and  the  American  constitution 
translated  into  their  jargon.  A  week  later  they  returned 
with  questions  as  to  certain  points  in  the  constitution, 
showing  that  they  had  really  begun  the  study  of  the  American 
doctrine.  There  is  talk  of  a  German  vote,  and  an  Irish  vote, 
but  never  of  a  Jewish  vote.  Judaism  was  a  faith  which  would 
not  suffer  the  indignity  of  political  speculation.  New  York  is 
a  close  state  and  in  1896  there  will  be  60,000  Jewish  votes  in 
New  York  City.  If  manipulated  as  a  whole  it  might  settle  the 
question  of  the  presidency,  but  such  a  matter  would  be  as  im 
possible  as  quenching  the  sun  with  a  glass  of  water.  The  Baron 
Hirsch  relief  committee  is  made  up  of  men  prominent  in  both 
political  parties,  and  if  one  of  them  were  to  attempt  such  a 
thing  he  would  be  ostracized  from  his  fellows  and  his  plan  de- 


THE  AMERICAN  JEW.  127 

stroyed.  The  Jewish  people  is  a  people  capable  of  learning 
something  and  forgetting  much,  taking  care  of  the  poor,  build 
ing  up  such  structures  as  this  asylum,  making  new  citizens  of 
outcast  orphans,  making  them  men  for  soldiers  and  citizens,  and 
women  for  wives,  and  they  can  hurl  back  with  defiance  the 
charge  of  Chandler  that  they  are  not  entitled  to  become  Ameri 
can  citizens. 

The  future  should  be  judged  by  the  past.  The  Jews  of  today 
came  here  fifty  years  ago  much  the  same  as  the  Russian  refugees, 
and  have  done  much  for  themselves  and  their  country.  They 
have  upheld  commerce  on  land  and  sea,  promoted  science  and 
art,  advanced  in  literature  and  have  been  loyal  to  the  common 
wealth  in  peace  and  in  war.  Somebody  said  the  Jew  was  not  a. 
soldier.  When  the  roll  was  called,  more  Jews  were  found  on 
the  side  of  the  Confederacy  alone  than  the  proportion  of  Jews 
to  the  population  of  the  entire  country.  If  the  men  on  either 
side  were  asked  they  would  say  that  they  met  Jews  doing  duty 
in  the  face  of  danger.  There  was  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of 
in  the  record,  and  he  prophesied  that  the  handful  of  American 
Jews  here  today  with  their  hands  uplifted  by  their  American 
co-workers  of  other  faiths,  would  lead  to  the  same  place  the  Rus 
sian  outcast,  so  that  when  the  enemies  of  the  Jews  went  upon 
the  hilltops  and  looked  upon  the  industrious  Jewish  emigrants 
in  the  fertile  valleys  below  they  would  exclaim,  "How  beautiful 
are  thy  tents,  Oh,  Jacob ;  thy  tabernacles,  Oh  Israel !" 


ORGANIZED  CHARITIES. 

Address  delivered  by  Mr.  Leo.  N.  Levi  at  the  Annual  Meeting 
of  the   United  Hebrew  Charities. 

Certainly  there  is  no  greater  cause  than  that  which  has 
brought  us  together  here  to-night,  and  I  am  impressed  with  the 
conviction  that  no  man  should  allow  the  promotion  of  that  cause 
to  suffer  in  the  slightest  degree  by  any  lust  for  glory  or  fame. 
And  I  believe  that  the  few  thoughts  that  I  have  to  express  will  be 
more  effective  if,  in  an  informal  way,  they  come  to  you,  not  as 
the  utterances  of  some  wiseacre  speaking  downward  from  the 
platform,  but  as  the  thoughts  of  a  co-worker  in  the  ranks,  ad 
dressed  to  his  co-workers,  with  the  design  to  provoke  thought 
and  excite  discussion,  in  order  to  reach  the  truth.  This  cause, 
in  which  we  are  enlisted  requires  science  rather  than  art;  ideas 
more  than  words;  and  ideas  only  as  impulses  to  achievement. 

I  say  it  calls  for  science  rather  than  art,  because  there  is  no 
department  of  human  activity  that  requires  more  to  be  reduced 
to  a  scientific  basis  than  the  administration  of  charity.  It  has 
been  said  here  to-night  incidentally  that  it  is  no  longer  an  open 
question  that  charity  should  be  organized;  but  I  cannot  concede 
the  accuracy  of  the  statement  when  I  am  confronted  as  I  have 
been,  here  and  everywhere  else  throughout  this  country,  with  the 
short  list  of  subscribers  to  organized  charities.  If  the  conviction 
that  charity  should  only  be  administered  through  organization 
were  general  and  widespread,  we  could  only  account  for  the 
paucity  of  subscribers  by  assuming  the  want  of  a  charitable 
impulse  among  our  co-religionists.  It  is  not  true  that  that  im 
pulse  is  wanting.  If  anything,  it  exists  too  strongly,  but  is  too 
little  subject  to  the  control  of  reason.  There  is  too  much  of  that 
indiscriminate  personal  benefaction,  which  has  been  so  aptly 
termed  by  Bishop  Potter  "the  help  that  hurts." 

128 


ORGANIZED     CHARITIES.  I2Q 

It  is  necessary,  therefore,  for  this  and  kindred  organizations 
not  to  assume  that  it  is  the  consensus  of  opinion  that  charity 
should  be  administered  only  through  organization. 

Let  me  assure  you,  from  a  wide  experience,  that  it  is  yet 
necessary  to  do  missionary  work  in  that  direction,  and  to  educate 
the  people,  and  the  whole  people,  to  a  perfect  understanding  that 
charity  has  two  aspects ;  one  emotional,  the  other  intellectual.  It 
must  proceed  from  an  emotional  impulse  to  do  good,  it  must  be 
directed  by  an  intellectual  process  that  will  guarantee  the  thing 
desired.  And  there  are  still  further  lessons,  the  fruit  of  which 
must  be  carried  into  effect,  not  only  in  individual  good  work, 
but  in  corporate  good  work.  Among  such  lessons  is,  that  all 
charity  must  proceed  along  lines  that  take  no  account  of  self; 
that  the  pleasure  of  the  giver,  the  fame  of  the  giver,  the  rewards 
of  the  giver,  shall  receive  no  consideration  at  all,  or  if  any,  in  a 
minor  degree ;  that  the  great  desideratum  is  effectiveness  in  the 
interest  of  those  in  whose  behalf  charity  is  exhorted. 

I  hope  I  make  that  clear.  I  would  I  had  the  power  to  make 
it  as  clear  as  it  appears  to  me,  that  if  there  be  merit  in  the  charity 
that  is  done  for  the  pleasure  that  is  extracted  from  it  by  the 
giver,  it  is  not  possessed  of  that  character  of  loftiness,  of  purity, 
which  attaches  to  charity  that  takes  no  account  of  self,  that  looks 
not  for  the  thrill  of  pleasure  when  the  tear  is  dried  and  the  groan 
is  stilled,  but  is  done  in  response  to  that  small  still  voice  of  con 
science  embodied  in  our  religion  from  time  immemorial,  that 
from  him  who  hath  a  surplus  there  shall  come  to  him  who  hath 
not,  the  tithe  that  is  in  payment  of  a  debt.  I  read  the  other  day 
in  the  list  of  contributors  to  this  organization  the  initials  of 
some  one  unknown,  "in  payment  of  my  tithe,"  and  it  excited  in 
me  a  thrill  of  admiration.  I  looked  forward  then,  as  I  do  now, 
to  the  time  when  I  may  grasp  the  hand  that  penned  those  initials, 
and  say  I  have  found  one  man  who  has  avowedly  done  his 
charity  as  the  payment  of  an  obligation,  recognizing  it  as  a  duty. 

I  have  been  told  by  my  learned  friends  of  the  cloth — and  I 
always  get  my  religious  and  biblical  learning  at  second  hand 
from  them — that  there  is  no  Hebrew  word  for  charity,  but  that 
the  word  we  use  implies  righteousness,  signifying  that  whoever 


130  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

possesses  more  than  a  sufficiency  for  his  own  needs  is  in  justice 
bound  to  assist  those  who  have  not  sufficient;  that  a  man  in 
respect  to  his  surplus  has  a  trust,  and  he  is  not  at  liberty  to 
dispose  of  that  trust  according  to  his  liking,  but  only  as  befits  the 
welfare  of  the  beneficiaries  of  the  trust. 

And  so  I  have  said  before,  and  I  say  now,  that  a  charity  ill- 
bestowed  is  a  sin,  for  the  bestowal  of  alms  upon  one  who  is  un 
worthy  is  the  corresponding  denial  of  charity  to  one  who  is  not. 
And  it  shall  be  no  sufficient  excuse  for  any  man  to  say,  "I  was 
governed  by  a  good  intention."  Your  duty  requires,  not  only 
that  your  intention  must  be  good,  but  that  your  intelligence  must 
be  good ;  and  if  it  be  not  sufficient  to  solve  the  problem,  turn  over 
your  contribution  to  those  who  are  wiser  than  you.  If  these 
lessons  be  taught,  and  taught  intelligently  to  the  people,  there 
will  come  many  good  results,  not  only  in  that  we  shall  minimize 
the  ''help  that  hurts,"  but  in  that  we  shall  magnify  the  help  that 
helps,  and  we  will  strengthen  the  organizations  that  are  inaugu 
rated  and  conducted  along  scientific  lines. 

I  purposely  use  the  word  scientific.  It  has  been  used  here 
to-night  repeatedly  in  the  interesting  reports  read,  as  if  the  work 
that  is  being  performed  in  the  field  of  charity  had  already  reached 
a  high  scientific  plane.  I  do  not  want  to  quarrel  with  anybody 
who  holds  to  that  view,  but  for  myself,  I  think  it  does  better  credit 
to  our  intelligence  to  confess  we  are  in  the  initial  stages  of  that 
science.  I  believe  my  statement  will  not  be  challenged  when  I 
say  that  charity  in  this  day  is  a  branch  of  political  economy,  and, 
I  want  to  add,  that,  in  my  opinion,  political  economy  is  nothing 
but  common  sense  applied  to  big  operations.  How  far  have  we 
progressed  in  the  development  of  that  science?  Be  it  understood 
that  it  is  not  the  creation  of  any  one  man's  brain,  but  the  birth  of 
experience;  that  it  has  been  extracted  from  the  happenings  that 
come  under  our  daily  ken. 

Scientific  charity  is  of  recent  Birth.  Let  us  study  our  diffi 
culties  rather  than  our  triumphs  to  the  end  that  the  triumphs  of 
the  future  will  surpass  the  triumphs  of  the  past. 

I  referred  to  the  fact  that  the  list  of  regular  contributors  to 
organized  charity  is  a  very  short  one.  I  am  well  advised  of  the 


ORGANIZED     CHARITIES.  131 

conditions  elsewhere,  and  I  have  learned  that  the  conditions  here 
are  not  dissimilar.  If  you  take  into  consideration  the  fact  that 
but  a  small  percentage  of  the  population  is  in  need  of  charity, 
you  must  realize  that  a  very  large  percentage  is  able  to  bestow 
charity.  And  if  you  compare  the  number  who  are  able  to  bestow 
charity  with  the  number  who  bestow  it,  through  an  organization, 
you  will  be  amazed  and  shocked  at  the  inevitable  conclusion  that 
only  a  small  percentage  of  our  people  do  charity.  Perhaps  this 
evil  condition  arises  from  the  want  of  co-operation  and  sympathy 
between  those  commonly  known  as  the  better  class  and  those 
commonly  known  as  the  lower  class  of  our  people,  a  distinction 
which  I  do  not  think  I  am  too  critical  when  I  say  is  largely  de 
pendent  upon  that  legend  by  which  we  indicate  the  unit  of  value. 
The  result  of  that  want  of  co-operation  and  sympathy  is  that  the 
poor  man — the  man  in  modest  circumstances — does  not  feel 
obliged  to  give  his  mite  to  the  alleviation  of  want  in  others,  and  a 
greater  burden  is  imposed  upon  the  rich.  And  this  is  evil  in 
more  ways  than  one.  It  is  evil  in  that  when  the  burden  becomes 
too  great,  recalcitrancy  follows.  It  is  evil  in  this  that  if  our  poor 
or  our  people  in  modest  circumstances  are  not  actively  engaged 
in  the  administration  of  charities  to  which  they  contribute,  they 
are  denied  the  uplifting  influence  of  benefaction,  to  him  who 
bestows.  And  the  whole  community  is  denied  the  benefit  of  their 
subscription,  their  practical  assistance,  their  surveillance  in  the 
very  districts  where  we  suffer  most  from  imposition  and  chi 
canery. 

My  judgment  is,  that  even  though  it  entails  trouble,  untold 
trouble,  and  I  know  it  will,  no  effort  should  be  spared  to  make 
the  entire  community,  rich  and  poor — each  according  to  his 
means — contribute  to  the  alleviation  of  suffering  and  want,  so 
that  whatever  our  differences  in  religion,  in  politics,  in  social 
standing,  in  wealth,  in  culture,  or  refinement,  in  the  doing  of 
good,  each  according  to  the  measure  of  his  power,  there  should 
be  one  level  platform  upon  which  every  Jew  can  stand.  And 
there  will  flow  from  that  union  of  effort  the  ultimate  and  finest 
achievement  of  science  in  charity  which  has  been  well  exemplified 
in  this  great  metropolis  by  the  organization  whose  silver  jubilee 


132  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

we  are  assembled  to  celebrate  to-night.  Because,  when  all  the 
people  are  working  to  a  common  end,  there  will  be  one  ideal  in 
charity  work  which  has  always  been  so  far  and  yet  so  dear,  and 
that  is  a  scientific  administration  of  Jewish  charities  modeled 
upon  a  high  form  of  government. 

The  need  for  the  United  Hebrew  Charities  brought  it  into 
existence,  and  that  need  was,  the  evils  that  preceded  it. 

The  report  that  was  read  here  to-night,  like  the  report  of 
every  organized  charity  I  have  ever  been  made  familiar  with, 
contained  a  plea  for  funds,  a  plea  for  moral  support,  a  plea  for 
•personal  activity,  and  it  should  always  be  so — it  indicates  a 
healthy  condition.  But  let  me  call  your  attention  to  this :  When 
the  list  of  subscribers  to  all  these  institutions  is  limited  in  num 
bers,  and  burdens  come  to  a  point  when  the  back  cannot  stand  an 
additional  pound  of  weight,  it  is  wise  to  consider  if  we  cannot  do 
•that  which  is  most  required  and  most  urgent  first.  And  that  can 
•only  be  done  by  having  a  parliament  or  clearing  house.  In  a 
well  organized  government,  at  the  beginning  of  every  fiscal 
period  a  budget  is  made  in  which  there  must  be  wise  distribution 
of  the  revenues  to  the  various  departments  thereof,  so  that  the 
most  important  shall  not  suffer  by  pampering  the  less  important. 
That  is  the  highest  expression  of  statesmanship.  Shall  we  not 
in  the  administration  of  our  charities  consider  what  revenues  we 
can  expect  to  come  from  our  people,  and  in  what  avenues  these 
revenues  should  be  directed?  Herein  lies  the  highest  essential 
and  highest  strength  of  your  organization;  to  demand  the  help 
of  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  this  community  who  has  any 
thing  to  give  in  the  way  of  money,  sympathy  or  effort  in  the 
cause  of  charity. 

With  the  dissipation  of  effort  and  division  of  energies — and 
traveling  sometimes  along  parallel  lines  and  thus  wasting  energies 
that  should  have  been  directed  otherwise — there  come  troubles 
that  only  an  intelligent  clearing  house  such  as  this  can  avoid. 
That  idea  can  be  extended  still  further  and  should  be  to  the  end 
that  we  should  not  furnish  niches  of  fame  for  ambitious  men  by 
unnecessarily  multiplying  organizations.  We  should  conserve 


ORGANIZED    CHARITIES.  133 

our  energies  and  direct  them  straight  at  the  target  of  want.  And 
how  can  that  be  done? 

To  bring  that  about  let  us  not  refuse  to  go  into  associations 
that  are  distasteful  to  us.  Let  me  assure  you  that  no  great  good 
is  accomplished  in  anything  unless  sacrifice  precedes  its  achieve 
ment.  And  if  it  becomes  necessary  to  communicate  with  those 
below  you  in  the  social  scale  to  bring  about  their  co-operation  in 
money,  time,  in  sympathy,  and  in  effort,  I  say  you  owe  that 
sacrifice  to  the  poor  and  suffering  as  well  as  the  money  you  un 
grudgingly  give.  There  is  nothing  so  becoming  the  lofty  station 
as  humility,  just  as  nothing  so  becomes  the  lowly  station  as  pride. 
If  those  who  by  the  blessing  of  Providence  have  reached  a  high 
plane  will  stoop  in  charity  to  those  on  a  lower  plane,  those  on  the 
lower  plane  will  be  ambitious  to  reach  a  higher  plane  themselves. 
And  in  this  we  can  make  charity  as  noble  and  effective  as  when 
we  give  a  crust  of  bread  to  the  hungry  or  clothe  the  naked. 

I  am  admonished  by  the  lateness  of  the  hour  that  I  must  not 
linger  longer  upon  a  subject  so  dear  to  me  and  upon  which  at  a 
more  appropriate  season  I  hope  to  deliver  the  message  I  have 
in  mind.  The  lesson  to  be  learned,  is  in  brief,  that  we  should 
all  learn  and  teach,  that  we  are  not  paying  our  debts,  by  in 
discriminately  bestowing  charity,  that  we  should  avail  ourselves 
of  the  opportunities  that  present  themselves  in  a  long  established, 
well  conducted  and  absolutely  needed  institution,  and  especially 
in  one  that  exercises  a  wholesome  supervisory  influence  over  all 
and  accomplishes  much  against  those  evils  the  prevalence  of 
which  brought  this  institution  into  being. 

These  are  lessons  to  be  learned  from  this  occasion,  more 
valuable  than  the  thrill  of  pleasure  that  follows  a  compliment, 
more  valuable  because  they  will  lead  to  something  good  to  be 
accomplished  in  the  future,  rather  than  to  the  ecstatic  contempla 
tion  of  something  done  in  the  past.  I  do  not  Appeal  to  you  to 
carry  it  to  your  homes  and  to  your  hearts.  I  demand  it,  not  in 
my  name,  not  in  the  name  of  this  organization.  I  demand  it 
in  your  name,  as  the  duty  that  you  owe  to  yourselves,  the  duty 
that  you  inherited  from  your  ancestors,  the  "noblesse  oblige"  of 
the  Jews. 


LET  WOMAN  WITNESS. 

History  is  replete  with  occasions  when,  because  of  unique 
conditions  a  commonplace  utterance  has  made  an  enduring  im 
pression;  when  commonplace  men  became  effective  agents  for 
good.  The  studied  words  of  the  wise  often  fall  like  cinders  in 
a  marsh,  expiring  as  they  fall ;  while  sometimes  the  rude  ex 
pressions  of  a  clown,  though  containing  but  a  spark  of  truth, 
Start  a  conflagration.  In  olden  times  the  birth  of  a  male  child 
to  a  Jewish  mother  was  dignified  by  the  remote  possibility  that 
he  might  prove  to  be  the  Messiah. 

These  observations  are  offered  by  way  of  apology  for  ventur 
ing,  even  in  the  most  unpretentious  way,  to  discuss  a  religious 
theme  in  public.  As  a  rule  such  discussion  should  be  left  to  those 
specially  fitted  therefor.  In  departing  from  that  rule,  I  do  so 
with  misgivings,  yet  hopeful  that  I  may,  in  a  small  way,  pro 
mote  a  great  cause  by  making  a  plea  for  Religion.  Not  an 
argument,  not  an  apology,  not  a  defense,  but  a  plea.  I  do  not 
venture  on  the  domain  of  either  science  or  theology,  for  of  these 
it  may  be  truly  said  "fools  rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread.''' 
It  however  requires  neither  scientist  or  theologian  to  see  how 
pervasive  are  immorality  and  crime,  and  to  measure  these  by 
the  decadence  of  religion.  It  was  in  former  generations,  if  it 
is  not  now,  accepted  as  a  current  truth,  that  morality  and  right 
eousness  followed  always  in  the  wake  of  education.  It  was  as 
sumed  that  when  the  windows  of  the  intellect  were  opened  to 
the  light  of  knowledge,  the  warmth  of  virtue  would  enter  the 
soul.  But  there  has  come  a  disillusionment.  Open  windows 
admit  both  light  and  warmth  at  times,  but  as  often  if  not  oftener, 
sacrifice  warmth  for  light.  The  world  has  grown  in  enlighten 
ment  faster  than  in  virtue;  indeed  one  is  almost  driven  at  times 
to  the  gloomy  conviction  that  virtue  abounds  most  where  en 
lightenment  sheds  but  feeble  rays. 

134 


LET    WOMAN    WITNESS.  135 

I  should  be  unwilling  to  advance  that  as  a  deliberate  con 
viction,  but  without  misgivings  I  assert  that  enlightenment  with 
out  religion  is  a  factitious  and  unstable  support  for  morality. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  in  the  decalogue  is  to  be  found  a  com 
prehensive  moral  code;  certainly  so,  if  it  be  supplemented  with 
the  Mosaic  command  "thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 
The  civilization  that  is  not  based  on  that  code  is  not  sound; 
unless  they  draw  therefrom  their  inspiration,  manhood  is  not  at 
once  stalwart.  And  gentle  womanhood  is  not  free  and  pure. 

And  what  if  anything  can  make  that  code  the  controlling 
influence  upon  conduct? 

The  skeptic  will  answer  that  the  fear  of  public  opinion  and 
of  public  law  alone  controls  the  conduct  of  those  who  are  not 
governed  by  superstitious  fears;  or  that  the  mind  of  man  has 
painfully  and  slowly  spelled  out  the  code,  as  the  dictate  of  wis 
dom,  supported  by  reason  and  sanctioned  by  almost  universal 
acceptance. 

The  religious  person  even  though  not  pious  will  say  that  the 
code  ought,  of  right,  and  in  fact  does,  truly  enter  into  life  be 
cause  it  is  the  Divine  Law.  To  this  last  view  I  hold.  Religion 
occupies  different  planes,  and  to  reach  the  highest  one  must 
be  devout  and  pious,  as  well  as  religious ;  but  the  religious  spirit 
abides  in  the  hearts  and  is  reflected  in  the  lives  of  many  who, 
if  not  pious  and  devout,  esteem  themselves,  not  more,  but  less, 
on  that  account.  For  the  purposes  of  this  consideration  it  is 
not  important  to  draw  fine  distinctions  between  grades  of  loyalty 
to  religion.  What  I  insist  on  is,  that  unless  virtue  is  regarded 
as  the  mandate  of  God,  its  practice  cannot  be  widespread,  per 
sistent  or  enduring.  However  well  we  fortify  ourselves  against 
temptations,  the  enemy  will  break  through  at  times,  but  when 
Faith  in  Heaven  is  not  among  the  defenders,  then  is  resistance 
weak  indeed.  A  man  cannot  exist  without  air,  food  and  water; 
he  cannot  develop  his  physical  powers  without  exercise.  This 
is  true  now  and  it  always  has  been.  Why?  The  answer  of 
science  is  that  the  law  of  man's  being  so  decrees — but  this  is 
but  another  method  of  saying  because  it  is  the  will  of  God. 
Man  does  not  reach  his  true  moral  development  except  by 


136  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

observing  the  code  to  which  I  have  adverted.  He  never  has. 
Why?  Again  without  circumlocution  the  answer  is  because  it 
is  the  Law  of  God.  Man  never  has  attained  anything  like  even 
an  approximate  observance  of  that  code,  save  under  the  influence 
of  a  religion  which  recognized  a  Supreme  Power  possessed  of 
Infinite  attributes,  making  and  revealing  laws  which  as  far  as 
understood  were  believed  to  be  perfect,  and  whether  understood 
or  not  were  accepted  as  authoritative. 

If  this  statement  be  true,  it  furnishes  an  irresistible  argument 
that  religion  is  a  necessity  of  man's  moral  being  and  therefore 
a  Divine  Law. 

I  assume  that  no  one  will  question  the  validity  of  the  moral 
code  contained  in  the  ten  commandments  and  the  golden  rule 
of  Moses.  Men  differ  as  to  its  origin,  but  not  as  to  its  merit. 

Whence  does  it  derive  its  sanction?  Is  it  from  common 
consent?  Or  to  express  the  same  thought  differently,  from 
public  opinion?  If  so,  this  public  opinion  makes  the  code  moral, 
and  can  also  unmake  it.  It  follows  that  it  is  not  immoral  to 
be  a  polygamist  in  Turkey ;  it  was  not  immoral  to  steal  in  Sparta ; 
it  was  not  immoral  to  sacrifice  human  life  to  public  sport  in 
Rome ;  to  burn  Jews  at  the  stake  in  the  Middle  Ages. 

On  the  other  hand,  this  code  if  always  recognized  and  ac 
cepted  by  public  opinion,  is  a  remarkable  exception,  for  all  other 
mere  creations  of  the  human  mind  are  constantly  being  modified 
or  altered.  If  this  code  has  escaped  the  thirst  for  change  it  is 
because  it  has  the  same  authority  behind  it  which  makes  food, 
air  and  water  necessities  of  life.  Men  may  quarrel  about  the 
origin  of  the  law,  but  when  the  law  itself  is  assailed  the  assault 
is  led  and  followed  only  by  mental  or  moral  perverts. 

The  same  argument  applies  to  the  suggestion  that  human 
law  requires  observance  of  the  salient  features  of  this  code,  and 
human  government  enforces  it.  This  suggestion  is  not  more 
than  fractionally  true  and  even  if  it  were  wholly  so,  what  be 
comes  of  the  code  if  governmental  law  comes  in  opposition 
thereto?  If  England,  Germany,  France  and  the  United  States 
should  unite  in  passing  laws  to  legalize  theft,  perjury,  adultery 
and  murder,  would  it  be  less  wrong  to  commit  these  sins  than 


LET    WOMAN    WITNESS.  137 

it  is  now?  Nay!  if  all  the  world  should  unite  in  resolutions 
and  laws,  that  these  things  were  virtues  instead  of  wrongs, 
would  their  moral  nature  change  by  reason  of  such  resolutions 
and  laws?  And  if  not,  why  not?  Because  the  Right  and  the 
Wrong  are  not  measured  by  what  Man  says  or  does  or  thinks 
about  them.  Men  may  weave  webs  of  words  and  cloud  the  sub 
ject,  but  in  the  end  the  mind  cannot  escape  the  conclusion  that 
unless  it  be  because  God  commands,  there  is  no  more  inherent 
wrong  in  theft,  perjury,  adultery  or  murder,  than  in  smuggling 
or  carrying  on  a  business  without  a  license. 

The  virtue  that  has  no  higher  inspiration  than  fear  of  the 
law  or  public  opinion,  is  not  entitled  to  the  name.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  the  virtue  that  is  based  only  on  considerations 
of  policy.  Whenever  subjected  to  a  crucial  test  it  fails  and 
proves  itself  a  counterfeit. 

It  is  difficult  if  not  unfair  to  support  this  proposition  by 
comparison  of  one  nation  with  another,  or  of  men  differently 
situated.  The  superiority  of  one  or  the  inferiority  of  another 
may  be  attributable  to  other  conditions.  But  if  we  find  people 
similarly  situated,  having  the  same  environment,  enjoying  com 
mon  joys,  and  suffering  common  sorrows,  and  discover  marked 
differences  in  their  moral  qualities,  we  may  also  discover  evi 
dence  for  or  against  the  influence  of  Religion  or  Morality.  And 
so  I  call  Woman  to  witness. 

Women  are  not  inherently  better  or  worse  than  men.  The 
savage  woman  is  as  cruel  and  ferocious  as  her  mate  and  submits 
to  his  rule,  not  upon  principle,  but  in  deference  only  to  his 
superior  physical  strength.  The  women  of  Greece  compared 
indifferently  with  the  men.  They  were  regarded  and  treated 
as  inferiors,  esteemed  chiefly  for  their  physical  charms.  Aspasia 
shines  forth  as  perhaps  the  greatest  of  Greek  women  and  her 
claim  to  greatness  must  be  confined  to  her  beauty  and  intellect 
and  cannot  be  extended  to  her  virtues.  The  women  of  Rome 
devoted  themselves  to  the  pursuit  of  pleasure  in  its  most  odious 
aspects.  In  the  circus  they  looked  on  brutal  and  indecent  sports 
with  unflinching  eyes,  and  to  the  questioning  glance  of  the 
triumphant  gladiator  made  answer  with  the  thumb  sign  of  death. 


138  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

In  the  Saturnalia  and  Lupanarium  the  noblest  dames  of  Rome 
were  chief  actors,  losing  no  caste  by  engaging  in  public  de 
bauches,  which  would  now  be  suppressed  by  law  in  even  a  semi- 
civilized  country.  Patrician  ladies  whose  husbands  were  heads 
of  government,  commanders  of  armies,  judges,  painters,  poets 
and  scholars — the  very  cream  of  society,  paraded  their  own 
iniquity  and  sneered  at  the  eccentric  univirae. 

In  Paris  during  the  i8th  century  the  upper  classes  set  aside 
the  controlling  influence  of  Religion,  and  in  the  decadence  which 
followed  the  women  went  to  greater  lengths  than  the  men.  In 
intrigue,  treachery,  deception,  openly  scandalous  conduct,  and 
even  crime,  the  women  were  willing  partners  or  rivals  of  the 
men.  It  is  needless  to  multiply  historical  citations  to  prove  that 
when  neither  sex  is  restrained  from  wrong-doing  by  Religion, 
the  women  become  at  least  as  wicked  as  the  men. 

I  think  it  equally  true  that  when  men  and  women  are  alike 
influenced  by  Religion,  the  virtues  of  men  compare  favorably 
with  those  of  the  gentler  sex.  The  truly  religious  man  is  as 
well  fortified  against  temptation  as  is  his  fair  sister,  and  in 
honor,  fortitude,  gentleness  and  mercy  testifies  to  the  uplifting 
influence  which  makes  him  fearless  of  men  and  fearful  of  God. 

But  in  this  age  the  sexes  are  not  equally  influenced  by  Re 
ligion.  The  men  are  neither  as  pious  or  as  religious  as  the 
women.  As  a  rule  they  do  not  attend  divine  services,  they  do 
not  pray  or  worship  in  public  or  private.  So  engrossed  are  they 
by  the  cares  of  business  that  they  devote  no  time  or  thought  to 
the  relations  between  themselves  and  their  Creator.  If  they 
affiliate  with  churches  it  is  too  often  in  a  perfunctory  way  and 
because  it  is  still  regarded  as  good  form.  Not  only  is  this  all 
true,  but  beyond  this  is  the  deplorable  fact  that  men  commonly 
sneer  at  religion  and  deride  it  as  a  lot  of  superstitious  humbug, 
fit  only  for  women  and  children.  And  strangely  enough  they 
as  a  rule  are  quite  content  to  subject  their  women  and  children 
to  the  very  humbug  which  they  regard  as  noxious. 

On  the  other  hand  if  the  women  of  this  age  are  not  as  a 
rule  religious,  they  are  not  indifferent  to  or  contemptuous  of  it. 
They  do  not  decry  it  or  speak  of  it  save  with  respectful  defer- 


LET    WOMAN    WITNESS.  139 

ence.  They  frequently  if  not  regularly  attend  worship,  and  al 
most  unfailingly  bring  themselves  in  touch  with  their  Maker 
by  prayer. 

If  these  premises  be  correct,  the  relative  virtues  of  the  sexes 
will  indicate  if  not  measure  the  power  of  Religion.  To  that 
power,  working  for  the  glorification  of  God  and  the  betterment 
of  mankind,  let  Woman  witness. 

Recur  to  the  commandments  and  compare  our  women  with 
our  men.  She,  as  a  rule,  is  devout.  She  does  not  blaspheme. 
She  does  not  commit  deeds  of  violence.  She  does  not  bear  false 
witness.  She  is  honest.  She  is  chaste.  She  is  a  good  daughter, 
a  faithful  wife,  a  self-sacrificing  mother.  She  is  compassionate 
and  merciful.  She  softens  pain  and  solaces  grief.  She  delights 
in  good  deeds.  With  the  graces  of  her  heart  she  makes  gentle 
what  is  savage  in  man  and  leads  her  offspring  from  what  is 
debasing  to  what  is  pure.  She  is  strong  in  her  virtues  and 
trusted  on  account  thereof. 

And  what  of  the  men?  Can  it  be  said  of  them  that  in  like 
degree  with  women  of  the  same  social  station,  they  are  free  of 
the  sins  and  shortcomings  which  denote  unrighteousness?  Are 
they  as  clear  in  speech  and  thought,  as  truthful  and  honest 
in  deeds,  as  loyal,  as  brave  in  suffering,  as  resigned  in  sorrow, 
as  tender  to  the  afflicted,  as  merciful  to  the  downcast,  as  true  to 
their  domestic  obligations? 

Who  can  doubt  the  answer  to  such  questions? 

From  every  Judge  on  the  Bench,  from  every  officer  of  jus 
tice,  from  every  minister  of  the  gospel,  from  every  observer  and 
student  of  our  civilization  there  must  come  the  same  testimony, 
that  in  morals,  in  the  sweetness  and  light  of  human  nature,  our 
women  are  on  a  higher  plane  than  our  men. 

Our  women  are  in  a  measure  free ;  our  men  are  in  a  bondage 
self-imposed. 

The  exactions  of  a  bizarre  life,  the  pace  that  kills,  the  mad 
rush  for  wealth,  the  cringing  to  greater  power  and  the  oppres 
sion  of  weakness,  are  links  in  the  chains  with  which  the  modern 
man  has  fettered  himself.  Manacled  as  he  is,  his  nature  shrivels 


I4O  LEO   N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

and  hardens.     He  is  becoming  more  and  more  mind  and  matter, 
and  less  and  less,  heart  and  soul. 

That  women  partake  in  a  measure  of  his  sordid  appetites 
and  aspirations  is  not  surprising.  She  could  not  escape  alto 
gether  the  corrupting  and  corroding  influence  of  such  associa 
tion.  That  she  has  not  become  as  bad  as  the  men,  is  due  only 
to  the  fact  that  she  has  kept  at  least  a  low  light  burning  on  the 
altar.  From  it  she  draws  hope,  courage  and  inspiration. 
By  it  she  learns  that  there  is  something  in  life  besides, 
and  better  than  power,  riches  or  fame.  It  teaches  her  humility 
instead  of  pride;  deference  instead  of  arrogance;  resignation 
instead  of  revolt.  There  is  for  her  more  wealth  in  her  Bible 
than  in  her  bank  book ;  more  power  in  the  love  of  friends  than 
in  the  fear  of  enemies;  more  glory  in  an  approving  conscience 
than  in  the  plaudits  of  the  multitude. 

It  would  be  an  exaggeration  to  claim  all  this  for  all  or  even 
the  majority  of  women.  The  ideal  is  seldom  attained  and  even 
those  who  strive  hardest  to  attain  it  exhibit  infirmities  of  char 
acter.  But  I  do  claim  with  confidence  that  the  lofty  ideals  are 
appreciated,  studied,  aspired  to  and  striven  for  with  fidelity, 
persistency  and  success  chiefly  by  those  who  are  Religious.  To 
this  let  woman  witness. 

And  now  what  shall  we  deduce  from  the  argument.  The 
reciprocal  influences  exerted  by  the  sexes  on  each  other  make 
for  good  and  for  evil.  Doubtless  the  religious  tendency  of 
women  exercises  a  salutary  effect  on  men  and  conversely  the 
worldliness  of  men  operates  to  lower  the  tone  of  woman's  finer 
nature.  If  men  would  but  recognize  the  merits  of  Religion 
and  refrain  from  assailing  it,  it  would  be  less  difficult  for  women 
to  uphold  it;  if  women  would  more  aggressively  stand  for  Re 
ligion,  men  would  not  only  cease  their  assaults  but  would  more 
generally  come  under  its  influence.  If  men  wish  to  encourage 
the  highest  and  best  qualities  of  the  wife,  the  mother,  the  daugh 
ter  and  the  son,  they  must  encourage  these  to  be  religious.  If 
the  women  wish  their  husbands  to  be  models  for  their  sons  and 
their  sons  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  worthy  sires,  they  must 
lead  them  to  prayer. 


LET    WOMAN    WITNESS.  14! 

Now  it  is,  as  in  the  past  it  has  been,  the  mission  of  women 
to  lead  their  little  ones  to  the  altar,  there  to  learn  to  know,  to 
love  and  to  obey  their  Creator.  Let  them  also  break  down  de 
rision  and  contempt  and  by  sweet  persuasion  lead  their  husbands 
and  brothers  too.  Her  power  to  do  this  will  be  denied  or  ridi 
culed.  But  what  of  that?  Time  was  when  men  gravely  dis 
puted  as  to  whether  women  had  souls.  Only  in  recent  centuries 
has  she  been  looked  upon  as  anything  but  a  superior  chattel. 
She  was  not  esteemed  worthy  to  think  on  serious  subjects  or 
pursue  bread-winning  avocations.  She  has  proven  her  power 
against  tremendous  odds.  She  will  in  the  future  continue  to 
testify  in  her  own  behalf. 

In  the  past  she  has  struggled  to  make  herself  man's  equal. 
She  has  in  morals  so  far  surpassed  him,  that  her  next  great 
mission  is  to  make  man  her  equal.  This  is  the  demand  upon  her 
powers.  That  she  is  equal  to  the  task  I  have  no  doubt  she 
will  give  abundant  testimony. 


ADDRESS  OF  LEO  N.  LEVI  AT  THE  LAYING 

OF  THE  CORNER  STONE  OF  THE  NEW 

JEWISH  WIDOWS'  AND  ORPHANS' 

HOME  AT  NEW  ORLEANS,  1886. 

MY  FRIENDS: 

We  are  making  history  today.  We  are  performing  the  initial 
act  in  the  erection  of  a  structure  that  I  trust,  and  confidently 
believe,  will  endure  in  strength  and  usefulness  long  after  we 
shall  have  surrendered  the  burdens  of  this  life,  to  assume  the 
unknown  responsibilities  of  another  existence. 

The  history  of  an  age  can  only  be  correctly  written  during  the 
ages  that  follow  when  the  pen  of  the  historian  is  free  from  con 
temporary  passion  or  bias.  Our  age  can  claim  no  immunity 
from  the  operation  of  this  general  and  universally  accepted  rule. 
The  true  estimate  of  our  time  is  in  the  future  and  we  can  only 
speculate  on  the  verdict  which  will  be  rendered  by  the  generations 
to  follow  us.  What  will  that  verdict  be? 

I  am  no  pessimist,  but  I  cannot  overcome  the  conviction  that 
mingled  with  the  vast  progress  of  our  time,  there  will  be  found 
elements  of  retrogression  and  decay.  We  have  seen,  it  is  true, 
the  invention  of  the  steam  engine,  the  telegraph,  the  improved 
printing  press,  the  railroad  and  a  thousand  other  contributors 
to  man's  comfort,  but  we  must  not  be  blind  to  the  fact  that  we 
have  also  produced  the  most  destructive  agencies  ever  known  and 
that  their  abuse  is  not  subject  to  control.  Moreover,  if  we  have 
rapid  transit  and  quick  communication,  free  education  and  cheap 
literature,  we  have  also  increasing  international  complications, 
immense  public  expenditures,  heavy  taxation,  popular  discontent, 
agrarian  agitation  and  the  ever  threatening  commune. 

If  wealth  has  increased,  it  has  become  unhappily  distributed 
as  to  make  a  few  powerful  and  overbearing,  while  the  multitude 
grown  desperate  in  suffering,  turn  to  anarchy  as  a  relief  from 

142 


LAYING     OF     CORNER     STONE         .  143 

a  condition  that  they  despair  of  otherwise  alleviating.  The  his 
torian  who  shall  write  of  our  times  will  overlook  none  of  these 
factors  and  we  may  well  fear  the  judgment  they  will  induce.  May 
it  not  be,  that  in  our  progress,  we  have  held  the  torch  of  truth  so 
close  to  nature's  face  that  we  have  burned  away  her  fairest  fea 
tures?  But  if  there  be  much  evil  to  chronicle  there  shall  not 
be  wanting  material  for  bright  pages  in  the  narrative.  In  mak 
ing  up  the  history  of  ancient  peoples,  we  rely  not  upon  the  written 
evidence  of  events,  manners,  thoughts  and  character,  but  we  look 
as  well  to  monuments,  public  buildings,  architecture  in  its  various 
forms,  and  to  a  vast  number  of  other  sources  that  silently  but  un 
erringly  expound  the  truth.  The  pyramids  of  Egypt,  the  Acrop 
olis  at  Athens,  the  Coliseum  at  Rome  themselves  speak  history,  in 
mute  but  impressive  eloquence.  The  future  will  treat  the  present 
as  we  do  the  past,  and  I  can  fancy  in  the  remote  ages  to  come, 
when  as  the  result  of  revolutions  which  we  cannot  now  foresee, 
all  the  conditions  of  our  present  civilization  have  been  radically 
changed,  the  historian  will  resort  to  such  materials  to  make  up 
his  verdict  on  our  times.  My  friends,  we  are  building  a  monu 
ment  that  shall  serve  him  and  us  in  that  hour. 

If  the  gaudy  palaces  of  the  rich  shall  tell  of  vice  and  pleasure 
indulged  at  the  price  of  human  misery,  there  shall  also  be  found 
with  the  impress  of  this  age  upon  their  crumbling  and  moss-cov 
ered  walls  unnumbered  sanctuaries  to  speak  of  a  charitable  people, 
offering  tribute  to  the  God  of  mercy.  Such  monuments  are  every 
where  among  us.  Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  this  our 
common  country  eleemosynary  institutions  of  every  kind,  richly 
endowed  and  ably  conducted,  uplift  their  sightly  forms.  Certainly 
not  less  so  than  in  the  past,  is  the  spirit  of  selfishness  prevalent 
among  the  people  of  this  age.  Perhaps  by  reason  of  the  changed 
conditions  of  life,  if  that  spirit  has  not  grown,  it  has  had  freer 
play,  but  traveling  alongside  of  it,  and  with  unwearied  step,  is 
the  liberal  spirit  which  makes  our  charities  munificient  and  the 
intelligent  energy  which  makes  them  effective. 

There  seems  to  be  a  divine  law  of  compensation  which  invests 
every  man  and  every  age  with  some  saving  virtue.  Thus  the 
darkness  of  the  feudal  ages  is  relieved  by  the  brilliancy  of  that 


144  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

extravagant,  but  admirable  chivalry  that  alone  saved  Europe 
from  absolute  barbarism. 

Ours  is  an  age  of  selfish  strife.  The  acquisition  of  wealth  and 
power  is  the  universal  ambition  and  to  gratify  which  the  most 
questionable  agencies  are  employed.  To  the  philosophic  or  re 
flecting  observer  there  would  appear  to  be  in  progress  a  barbarous 
conflict  among  brothers,  over  an  heritage  ample  for  all  if  not 
wasted  in  struggle,  but  the  din  of  the  battle,  fierce  though  it  be, 
is  not  always  heard.  There  are  intervals  when  the  combatants 
rest  from  the  fatigue  of  the  fray  and  a  temporary  silence  falls 
upon  the  field.  Then  it  is  that  the  voice  of  the  weak  and  suffering 
gains  audience.  Then  it  is  that  the  divine  elements  of  man 
become  ascendant.  Then  it  is  that  foemen  cast  down  their  arms 
and  unite  in  succoring  the  distressed.  This  is  the  saving  virtue 
of  our  time,  and  if  the  age  of  chivalry  be  dead  indeed,  it  has 
left  as  a  legacy  this  cherished  truth,  that  the  bravest  heart  to 
meet  a  foe,  is  soonest  moved  to  pity. 

My  friends,  we  are  making  history  today.  The  representatives 
of  seven  great  commonwealths  are  here  assembled  to  assist  in  the 
solemn  ceremonies  of  this  hour.  The  occupations  of  our  daily 
lives,  our  individual  cares,  our  enmities,  our  private  interests, 
have  all  been  laid  aside,  to  the  end  that  we  might  each  share 
in  the  beginning  of  an  asylum  for  those  helpless  ones  whom  we 
have  volunteered  to  protect.  Let  us  not  be  guilty  of  vainglorious 
boasting,  but  let  us  at  the  same  time  feel  better  and  nobler  in  the 
reflection  that  herein  we  turn  to  the  light  the  brightest  side  of 
human  nature. 

The  nature  of  man  is  like  unto  the  face  of  the  earth.  On  the 
summit  of  the  snow  covered  mountain,  whose  bleak  and  aspiring 
peak  is  shrouded  in  impenetrable  mists ;  in  the  desert  whose 
waterless  wastes  have  no  alternation  for  quiet  save  in  the  dismal 
cry  of  savage  brutes ;  on  the  storm  beaten  bosom  of  the  sea,  there 
is  sublimity  but  not  beauty,  but  when  gentle  hills  with  verdant 
slope  lead  to  greener  vales,  when  valleys  teem  with  birds  and 
flowers,  and  the  ocean  heaves  lazily  under  blue  skies,  we  are 
moved  to  softer  emotions,  and  so  with  man. 

In  cold  selfishness,  silent  hate,  or  noisy  passion  man  may  be 


LAYING     OF     CORNER     STONE  145 

grand;  but  he  is  only  loveable  in  benevolence,  justice  and  charity. 
It  is  to  these  phases  of  human  nature,  as  exhibited  in  our  times, 
that  our  contemporaries  are  erecting  monuments  in  the  shape  of 
charitable  institutions.  It  is  to  these  phases  of  our  natures  that 
we  are  building  this  monument,  and  it  is  in  that  sense  that  I  say 
we  are  making  history  today.  But,  my  friends,  we  are  making 
history  not  only  as  contemporaries,  not  only  as  Americans,  not 
only  as  Southerners,  but  as  members  of  that  wonderful  tribe  of 
Israel  whose  crown  of  glory  is  its  mission  to  endure  with  patience 
and  by  sufferance  to  teach  the  word  of  God.  We  are  making 
history  as  component  parts  of  the  American  Jews,  whose  wander 
ing  and  blistered  feet  have  found  a  hospitable  welcome  here, 
where  the  constitution  of  a  free  and  enlightened  people  guaran 
teeing  equal  rights  to  all  men  before  the  law,  touches  and  exalts 
the  persecuted  heart  like  a  divine  benediction. 

When  the  solid  structure  that  we  are  about  to  erect  along  with 
all  surroundings  shall  lie  crumbling  prostrate  before  the  great  de 
stroyer,  when  moss  and  ivy  shall  bandage  the  unsightly  wound 
that  time  has  made  and  the  curious  traveler  shall  brush  aside  the 
vine  and  chase  the  lurking  serpent  from  this  stone,  what  emo 
tions  shall  be  aroused  in  his  bosom  ?  Shall  he  not  stand  in  amaze 
ment  to  muse  over  that  ever  recurring  and  never  answered  prob 
lem  of  the  Jew?  Let  us  today  as  befitting  this  occasion,  briefly 
consider  what  shall  perhaps  pass  in  review  before  him. 

For  centuries  the  Jews  have  endured  in  Europe  and  Asia  a 
series  of  persecutions  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  any  other 
people  and  which  no  other  people  could  have  survived.  From 
peasant  to  sovereign  the  Gentiles  courted  the  favor  of  heaven  by 
the  oppression  of  a  devoted  race  and  cruelty  to  the  helpless  Jew 
was  offered  up  as  a  virtuous  tribute  to  the  God  that  Israel  gave 
them.  By  the  laws  of  almost  every  nation,  by  the  customs  almost 
of  every  country,  by  the  prejudices  of  every  class,  they  were  made 
to  wear  the  badge  of  inferiority,  until  the  degradation  heaped 
upon  them  became  an  assimilated,  but  unnatural  element  of  their 
character.  In  Ghettos  and  Judengassen,  in  the  lowest  walks  of 
life  to  which  they  were  confined,  the  plastic  but  indestructible 
nature  of  the  Jew  partook  of  its  environment,  so  that  when  the 


146  LEO  N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

nineteenth  century  civilization  sought  to  invest  him  with  social 
and  political  liberty,  he  was  apparently  unfitted  to  receive  it.  Nor 
were  they  offered,  save  in  a  niggard  spirit,  by  any  but  the  young 
nation,  one  irrefragable  support  of  whose  greatness  is  the  unre 
stricted  right  of  worship  according  to  the  dictates  of  our  own 
conscience.  The  Jews  along  with  other  suffering  people  re 
sponded  to  invitation  offered  by  America.  From  Europe  mainly 
and  largely  within  the  past  two  generations  there  has  been  an 
influx  of  Jews  to  our  American  shores,  so  that  today  about  five 
per  cent  of  the  Jews  in  the  world  acknowledge  and  pay  allegiance 
to  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

In  the  nature  of  things,  the  immigrants,  while  to  a  large  extent 
composed  of  adventurers,  rather  than  desperate  spirits,  were  in 
the  main  made  up  of  the  most  needy,  illiterate,  unpolished  and 
unsavory  classes.  Those  who  possessed  a  respectable  measure  of 
comfort  at  home,  rarely,  if  ever,  sought  enlarged  privileges  in 
a  distant  country  where  the  language,  customs  and  laws  were  all 
strange.  There  are  today  about  300,000  Jews  in  the  United 
States,  composed  almost  exclusively  of  such  immigrants  as  I  have 
described  and  their  descendants  within  the  third  generation. 

What  should  be  the  status  of  this  people  today?  Has  this 
country  done  wisely  to  invite  the  scum  of  Europe  and  Asia  to 
infest  this  land  and  madly  riot  in  the  privileges  here  extended? 
Has  the  result  justified  the  experiment  of  the  general  invitation 
extended  by  the  United  States  to  the  peoples  of  the  world  which 
has  borne  such  a  variety  of  fruit?  The  refuge  offered  to  the  per 
secuted  and  down-trodden  has  also  been  utilized  by  the  scum  of 
Europe  and  Asia  and  the  conservative  mind  is  filled  with  misgiv 
ings  as  to  the  result.  The  fathers  of  our  country  projected  an 
experiment  in  liberty,  the  wisdom  of  which  may  well  be  doubted 
in  the  light  of  its  development.  I  do  not,  however,  propose  to 
discuss  that  question  here,  and  I  only  mention  it,  in  order  that 
I  may  consider  it  in  relation  to  our  own  people.  If  others  have 
imposed  tyranny  by  virtue  of  the  power  derived  of  liberties  en 
joyed,  no  such  charge  can  be  laid  at  our  doors. 

The  Jews  have  accepted  freedom  in  good  faith  and  for  them 
I  say  the  privileges  extended  have  not  been  abused.  For  them  I 


LAYING     OF     CORNER     STONE  147 

dare  to  say,  to  the  amazement  of  a  wondering  world,  here  under 
a  beneficent  government,  we  have  risen  in  two  generations  from 
appalling  degradation  to  the  full  stature  of  American  manhood. 
I  speak  advisedly  of  the  amazement  of  the  world.  Where  can 
any  history,  save  perhaps  that  of  our  people,  point  to  another  case 
of  a  down-trodden,  persecuted,  reviled  and  debased  people  who 
have  risen  so  speedily  from  the  slime  of  the  marsh  to  the  pure 
atmosphere  of  the  hill  tops?  But  perchance  it  will  be  said,  I 
claim  too  much ;  that  zeal  has  carried  me  to  extravagance,  the 
alluring  ante-room  of  falsehood.  Let  us  therefore  briefly  can 
vass  the  evidence : 

The  Jews  came  here  poor ;  they  have  grown  rich.  They  were 
illiterate ;  today  their  children  and  grandchildren  flock  to  the 
highest  seats  of  learning  and  bear  away  honors  awarded  to  merit. 
They  were  uncultured,  niggard  and  rude ;  today  they  build  stately 
houses  and  fill  them  with  rarest  works  of  art.  They  came  as 
peddlers,  butchers  and  swineherds;  today  they  follow  every  pro 
fession  and  vocation  with  credit. 

They  were  indifferent  to  the  government  and  its  institutions^ 
today  they  are  patriots,  and  above  aW  and  what  is  most  germain 
to  this  occasion,  they  take  from  their  substance  with  unmeasuring 
hand  and  bestow  it  in  intelligent  charity. 

The  truth  of  all  these  claims  is  so  apparent  that  "he  who 
runs  may  read."  It  will  be  profitable,  however,  to  examine  some 
what  more  closely  into  the  charities  of  our  people,  and  I  ask  your 
indulgence  while  I  present  a  few  eloquent  figures. 

This  is  but  a  passing  summary  of  the  record  and  yet  it  speaks 
a  volume.  No  achievements  in  peace  or  war  can  testify  so  elo 
quently  to  a  people's  virtue  as  the  charities  they  accomplish.  Nor 
have  our  charities,  as  we  have  seen,  been  confined  to  our  own 
people.  In  every  hamlet  and  metropolis  when  calamity  of  pubKc 
or  private  nature  is  called  to  popular  attention,  the  Jew  is  ever 
ready  and  foremost  with  his  contribution.  As  the  flower  ex 
presses  in  perfume  its  gratitude  for  fresh  air  and  nourishing  sun 
shine,  so  the  Israelite  voices  his  thanks  for  freedom  in  the  charity 
he  bestows.  And  could  our  grateful  hearts  find  sweeter  utterance 
than  in  the  "mercy  which  blesses  him  that  gives  as  well  as  him 
that  receives?" 


148  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

It  is  by  our  progress,  our  culture,  our  education,  our  obedience 
to  law,  our  probity  and  above  all  by  our  good  works  that  we  are 
discharging  our  debt  to  the  country  which  has  enabled  us  to 
develop  our  natures,  and  I  rejoice  in  it,  both  as  a  Jew  and  as  an 
American.  I  rejoice  in  the  conviction  that  were  Columbia  to  call 
the  roll  of  her  adopted  children  and  sternly  demand  which  of  them 
have  requited  her  motherly  protection  and  love,  the  Jew  could 
step  forward  bearing  the  prints  of  industry  and  charity  in  his 
arms  and  proudly  answer,  "I." 

It  would  tax  your  patience  too  heavily  to  discuss  at  length  the 
causes  which  underlie  this  phenomenal  development.  Volumes 
have  been  written  to  explain  why  in  all  climes  and  under  all 
circumstances  the  Jews  have  adapted  themselves  to  their  environ 
ment,  without  surrendering  that  mysterious  quality  which  pre 
serves  their  identity  as  Jews  and  as  such  pushes  them  ever  to  the 
front. 

There  is  something  in  the  Jewish  character  which  may  not  be 
defined  for  it  is  divine.  The  lamp  that  burns  forever  in  the  heart 
of  Israel  radiates  the  light  of  God.  Mixed  with  all  the  grusser 
elements  of  our  nature  is  that  undying  and  fundamental  principle 
of  our  faith,  "love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  Even  the  rude  sav 
ages  that  fitfully  followed  Moses  were  ripe  for  this  grand  idea 
and  the  seed  planted  in  the  breasts  of  those  newly  emancipated 
slaves  has  never  perished.  As  Hillel  said  to  the  heathen,  "What 
is  evil  unto  thee  do  not  to  others."  This  is  Judaism;  the  rest  is 
all  commentary. 

Is  it  extravagant  to  claim  that  the  mission  of  our  race  to  pre 
serve  and  promulgate  this  principle  of  love  throughout  all  time, 
is  the  key  to  the  problem  of  our  history?  The  love  of  our  fellow- 
men,  the  spirit  of  charity  in  its  broadest  sense,  is  at  once  the 
Jewish  sustenance  and  rule  of  action.  So  long  as  it  governs  us 
it  will  sustain  us,  and  thank  God  the  evidence  multiplies  daily 
to  the  fact  that  the  end  is  not  yet. 

Whenever  the  field  is  white  unto  the  harvest  the  Jew  is  at 
work.  Whenever  sorrow  wails  and  suffering  appeals,  the  Jew 
is  at  hand  to  answer  and  to  aid.  Shall  it  not  be  always  so? 
Shall  the  arms  that  have  borne  so  much  give  way  to  burdens 


LAYING     OF     CORNER     STONE  149 

now  ?  Shall  the  spirit  that  braved  -the  persecutions  of  centuries 
quail  before  the  light  of  long  deferred  enfranchisement?  Shall 
the  sacred  birthright  of  Israel  consecrated  again  and  again  by 
martyrdom,  be  bartered  away  at  last  ?  Believe  it  not.  The  lamp 
whose  flame  is  divine  will  never  be  extinguished.  The  future  is 
richer  than  the  past.  The  past  is  freighted  with  our  achieve 
ments;  the  future  is  full  of  new  duties  from  which  we  shall  not 
shrink.  The  record  we  have  made  is  but  an  earnest  of  what  we 
shall  do  and  in  our  modest  way  we  here  are  doing  our  part  to 
that  end. 

Enjoying  the  fullest  liberty  ever  offered  by  any  national  gov 
ernment;  untrammeled  by  tyrannical  and  debasing  restrictions; 
with  free  air  for  aspiration,  and  the  right  under  heaven  to  ele 
vate  our  natures  to  the  divine  ideal,  we  shall  requite  the  priv 
ileges  we  enjoy  by  the  good  which  we  accomplish.  If  we  reap  in 
fields  of  plenty,  there  shall  be  left  for  the  gleaners  who  follow 
in  the  harvesters'  path,  the  tithe  that  belongs  to  the  poor.  Let 
this  asylum  in  some  measure  support  the  promise  we  thus  make. 
Let  us  not  only  build  it,  but  conduct  it  on  such  humane  and  intel 
ligent  principles  that  it  may  be  said  in  our  midst  as  it  may  be 
said  wherever  the  Jews  are  suffered  to  prosper,  that  the  distress 
of  the  poor  is  the  care  of  every  Jewish  heart.  We  must  not,  we 
shall  not  falter  in  this  mission,  my  friends.  Our  hearts  are  in  it 
and  our  arms  will  be  strong  for  the  task.  Here  will  we  shelter 
and  protect  the  widow,  here  will  we  shelter  and  educate  the 
orphan  and  may  I  not  say  for  you  and  all  of  us  to  the  widows  and 
orphans  of  this,  our  country,  "though  you  drop  tears  as  fast  as 
the  Arabian  trees  their  medicinable  gum,"  yet  shall  you  be  com 
forted.  Though  your  wound  be  as  deep  as  the  limits  of  your 
hearts,  they  shall  be  healed,  for  the  providence  of  the  Lord 
shall  lend  the  music  of  consolation  to  our  words  and  soften  the 
touch  of  our  hands  as  we  rest  them  in  love  upon  your  afflicted 
heads. 

Such,  my  friends,  be  the  proclamation  that  we  issue  today,  and 
let  it  be  so  verified  by  our  deeds  that  the  afflicted  shall  echo  and 
re-echo  again  the  time-honored  prayer  of  our  people,  "Blessed 
be  the  name  of  the  Lord,  for  His  mercy  endureth  forever." 


A  LAYMAN'S  OPEN  LETTER  TO  THE  RABBIS. 

REVEREND  SIRS  : 

In  great  perplexity  of  mind  and  to  the  end  that  I  may  be  en 
lightened,  I  appeal  to  you.  1  am  advised  by  my  investigations 
that  it  is  a  traditional  right  and  duty  of  the  Jews  to  obtain  instruc 
tion  from  the  rabbis  upon  any  and  all  matters  pertaining  to 
Judaism.  It  is  in  the  exercise  of  that  right  and  in  the  perform 
ance  of  that  duty  that  I  now  address  you.  I  have  chosen  to  cor 
respond  with  you  thus  publicly,  in  order  that  those  who  are 
perturbed  like  me,  may  have  their  embarrassments  made  known 
by  what  I  propound  and  removed  if  possible  by  what  you  respond. 

I  am  an  American  born  Jew,  desirous  of  maintaining  the 
Jewish  religion  a>nd  my  adherence  thereto.  I  look  with  alarm 
upon  anything  which  impels  the  American  Jew  to  a  position 
that  may  lead  to  his  separation  from  Judaism.  I  have  earnestly 
watched  the  progress  of  Jewish  affairs  in  this  country  and  I  am 
so  bewildered  by  their  complexity  that  I  am  unable  without  your 
gracious  aid  to  determine  my  own  position. 

In  this  dilemma  I  am  not  alone.  I  have  conferred  with  my 
fellows  in  respect  of  my  own  perplexities,  and  I  discover  that 
not  less  blindly  than  myself  do  they  grope  in  the  darkness.  I 
can  not  undertake  to  detail  all  the  circumstances  which  have 
produced  this  unhappy  mental  state.  I  must  content  myself  with 
the  statement  of  a  few  outlines  and  leave  to  your  fecund  and 
discriminating  intelligence  the  elaboration  of  the  details. 

I  have  been  taught  that  Judaism  is  a  religion  teaching  certain 
doctrines  and  the  practice  of  certain  duties.  I  have  been  taught 
that  the  better  to  accomplish  such  instruction  and  practice,  cer 
tain  ceremonies  of  more  or  less  antiquity  were  observed.  I  have 
been  taught  that  mere  forms  and  ceremonies  had  been  modified, 
increased  or  abolished  from  time  to  time  by  proper  authorities 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  ages  in  which  such  changes 
occurred,  but  I  have  also  been  taught  that  the  doctrines  and 


OPEN    LETTER    TO    THE    RABBIS.  151 

principles  of  Judaism  in  their  purity,  were  of  divine  origin  and 
not  subject  to  be  altered.  In  other  words  I  have  been  led  to 
believe  that  Jwdaism  was  an  independent  existence;  a  fact  inde 
pendent  of  what  men  thought  about  it;  a  religion  in  short  that 
has  a  definition  by  which  it  may  be  identified  without  reference 
to  the  people  who  profess  it.  I  have  been  taught  that  Judaism  is 
a  religion  which  Jews  or  anyone  else  might  profess  and  that  it 
is  not  merely  a  conglomeration  of  the  doctrines  which  members 
of  the  Jewish  race  profess.  I  have  always  understood  that  if  a 
born  Jew  accepts  the  divinity  of  Christ  he  becomes  from  a  re 
ligious  standpoint  a  Christian,  and  e  converso,  if  a  born 
Christian  rejects  Christ  and  adopts  the  doctrines  of  Judaism  he 
becomes  from  a  religious  standpoint  a  Jew.  Have  I  been  prop 
erly  instructed?  I  anticipate  an  affirmative  reply,  for  that  I  was 
instructed  by  members  of  your  calling.  Being  thus  instructed, 
behold  what  difficulties  beset  me,  when  having  arrived  at  man's 
estate,  I  make  observations  on  my  own  account. 

I  observe  that  about  three  hundred  rabbis  presumably  min 
ister  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  Jews  in  America.  I  observe 
that  Judaism  is  professed  in  and  avowedly  taught  from  about 
three  hundred  pulpits  in  this  blessed  land  of  liberty.  But  alas! 
I  also  observe  that  what  is  termed  Judaism  in  one  synagogue  is 
denounced  as  heresy  in  others  and  that  when  I  seek  to  test  the 
true  Judaism  in  order  to  repudiate  the  false,  I  discover  that 
you  do  not  agree  among  yourselves.  If  I  had  but  one  of  your 
number  to  appeal  to,  I  could  doubtless  obtain  ex  cathedra  satis 
factory  responses  to  all  my  queries,  for  I  should  ask  no  ques 
tions  that  I  myself  could  answer,  and  I  would  be  unable  to  dispute 
or  doubt  the  correctness  of  those  called  for;  but  your  number  is 
legion !  You  are  presumably  all  ordained  and  duly  qualified  as 
teachers  of  Israel ;  none  of  you  has  authority  over  the  rest.  You 
are  co-ordinate  and  co-equal,  and  hence  when  you  differ  among 
yourselves,  to  whom  shall  I  apply?  Nor  are  your  differences 
trivial.  There  is  the  general  schism  between  the  orthodox  and 
the  reformers,  and  among  the  reformers  almost  as  many  distinct 
doctrines  as  there  are  rabbis.  In  this  diversity  of  views,  I  might 
look  for  the  "common  tie"  in  the  race  idea,  but  behold,  a  convoca- 


152  LEO   N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

tion  of  rabbis  has  declared  that  the  Jews  are  no  longer  a  race, 
but  only  a  "religious  community."  If  this  be  true  then  the  Jews 
have  a  common  religion,  and  that  religion  is  Judaism.  But  the 
questions  recurs,  what  is  Judaism?  And  then  again  begins  the 
differences  between  yourselves.  I  am  patient  myself  and  will 
labor  long  and  earnestly  for  the  truth,  but  it  grieves  me  sorely  to 
observe  so  many  of  my  fellows  exclaim  "a  plague  on  all  your 
houses"  and  turn  away  from  the  fold  entirely. 

Perchance  I  do  you  wrong  when  I  attribute  the  prevailing  re 
ligious  differences  to  the  want  of  uniformity  in  your  teaching, 
but  I  think  not. 

I  have  sought  diligently  and  impartially  for  the  causes  that 
underlie  the  present  condition  of  affairs,  and  governed  as  I  am  by 
the  kindest  feeling  for  your  sacred  calling,  I  am  constrained  to 
believe  that  if  all  our  rabbis  were  agreed  to  teach  what  they  all 
agreed  was  Judaism  all  the  Jews  would  know  what  Judaism 
meant,  and  as  in  other  countries  would  observe  it.  Believe  me, 
when  I  assure  you  that  I  am  far  more  charitable  in  my  judgment 
of  the  rabbis  in  American  than  the  vast  bulk  of  my  co-religionists. 
I  hear  every  day  the  charge  made  by  Jews  that  not  only  do  the 
rabbis  preach  a  distorted  and  false  Judaism,  but  that  they  do  not 
believe  even  the  little  which  they  preach. 

I  hear  it  charged  that  what  you  teach  the  Jewish  children  in 
the  Sabbath  schools,  and  what  they  profess  as  your  teachings  on 
Shebuoth  is  not  the  doctrine  which  you  believe  in  your  "heart  of 
hearts." 

And  when  I  have  indignantly  protested  against  this  charge 
of  base  hypocrisy  on  your  part  and  ask  how  such  facts  as  charged 
can  be  reconciled  with  your  calling,  I  am  answered  that  many  of 
you  are  "rabbis  for  revenue  only."  It  is  said  that  many  of  you 
teach  what  your  congregations  like  to  hear,  rather  than  what 
it  is  proper  for  them  to  know. 

It  is  charged  that  many  of  you  eschew  sermons  altogether 
and  lecture  upon  social,  political,  literary  and  philosophical  sub 
jects,  in  order  to  avoid  all  questions  of  doctrine.  Finally  against 
some  of  you  the  indictment  is  made  that  you  employ  your  position 
in  Jewish  pulpits  to  assail  before  Jewish  congregations,  the  most 


OPEN  LETTER  TO  THE  RABBIS.  153 

sacred  doctrines  of  Judaism,  not  even  sparing  the  Torah  itself. 
"Can  such  things  be?" 

I  asked  one  of  your  number  once  if  he  could  reconcile  a  re 
pudiation  of  the  verity  of  the  Old  Testament  with  Judaism.  "My 
dear  friend,"  said  he,  "would  you  have  me  preach  what  I  do  not 
believe?  Would  you  have  me  teach  the  truth  of  the  testament 
when  as  an  educated  man  I  know  it  is  not  true  ?"  I  answered  him 
as  a  friend,  that  I  would  not  countenance  hypocrisy  nor  restrict 
in  any  manner  the  liberty  of  thought  or  speech,  but  that  there 
is  a  time  and  a  place  for  all  things.  I  conceived  it  then  as  I  do 
now  that  the  duty  of  every  man  is  to  teach  the  truth  as  he  believes 
it,  but  if  truth  as  he  understands  it,  is  in  conflict  with  Judaism,  a 
synagogue  should  not  be  chosen  to  preach  it. 

It  is  an  insult  to  decency  for  any  man  to  accept  the  position 
of  rabbi  and  retain  it  as  such,  and  in  a  Jewish  pulpit  to  assail 
Judaism  to  a  congregation  of  Jews.  It  were  as  proper  for  a  Cath 
olic  priest  to  preach  Judaism  in  a  cathedral.  I  advised  my  friend 
to  be  a  man  and  resign  his  place.  I  advise  all  rabbis  who  are  not 
Jews  to  do  likewise.  A  few  have  done  this,  and  as  free  lances 
preach  what  they  list.  I  may  not,  nay,  do  not,  admire  their  teach 
ings,  but  I  admire  their  manhood  which  prompted  them  to  with 
draw  from  connection  with  a  church  that  they  were  unwilling 
to  undermine  while  paid  to  support  it.  Pray  tell  me,  am  I  not 
right?  Do  you  blame  me?  I  trust  not,  but  if  you  do  censure 
me,  give  me  the  benefit  of  your  reasoning,  so  that  I  may  feel  even 
more  charity  for  those  rabbis  whom  I  have  observed  to  teach  anti- 
Jewish  doctrines  from  a  Jewish  pulpit.  They  have  not  resigned. 

If  all  the  charges  which  I  have  stated  be  false  then  they  should 
be  emphatically  denied  by  every  one  of  you.  Nay !  if  any  of  them 
be  false,  in  so  far,  they  should  be  negatived. 

But  you  ask  me,  what  is  it  that  you  wish?  Wait!  Let  me 
show  you  some  of  the  effects  of  the  Jewish  revolution  in  America. 

On  June  3d,  1887,  in  a  prominent  Jewish  periodical,  there 
appeared  without  comment  by  the  editor,  a  sermon  on  the  Jews, 
preached  by  W.  H.  Campbell,  in  the  Congregational  church  at 
Carthage,  Mo.,  on  October  loth,  1886.  In  the  course  of  the 
sermon  the  following  significant  language  was  used : 


154  L£O  N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

'The  strict  requirements  of  the  old  orthodox  party  is  becom 
ing  a  thing  to  be  talked  about  in  our  Jewish  families.  While 
they  do  not  look  with  approbation  upon  the  marriage  of  their 
children  with  Gentile  families,  yet  their  family  education  is  such 
as  to  open  the  gates  for  such  marriages.  In  the  last  few  years 
three  such  marriages  have  fallen  under  my  own  observation.  A 
few  years  ago  the  daughter  of  Rabbi  Wise,  of  Cincinnati,  one 
of  the  leading  Jewish  teachers  of  this  country,  editor  of  one  of 
their  papers,  actually  abandoned  her  home  and  married  a  Roman 
Catholic.  This  simply  shows  the  drift  of  the  Jewish  tendencies. 
It  shows  us  that  invincible  rampart  of  Judaic  exclusiveness  is 
giving  way,  and  that  they  with  all  the  people  of  the  earth,  may  yet 
be  reached  and  moulded  by  the  blessed  gospel  of  the  Nazarene. 

"The  Jew  lives  today  in  the  declining  shadow  of  his  father's 
religion.  He  still  disbelieves  in  the  divinity  of  Jesus,  but  he  is 
abandoning  the  'traditions  of  the  elders'  and  placing  himself  on 
the  broad  ground  of  agnostic  or  rationalistic  disbelief  in  all  re 
ligion,  where  in  common  with  the  thousands  of  our  countrymen 
he  may  be  reached  by  the  Church  of  God."  , 

The  writer  has  been  deeply  impressed  by  the  circumstances 
which  provoked,  if  they  do  not  warrant  such  expressions. 

But  a  few  days  since  I  had  occasion  to  confer  with  a  gentle 
man  in  respect  of  matters  affecting  Jewish  affairs.  In  the  course 
of  the  conference,  I  appealed  to  him  for  aid  in  the  construction  of 
a  Jewish  synagogue.  He  declined  on  the  ground  that  there  was 
no  reason  why  he  should  contribute  for  such  a  purpose,  for,  said 
he:  "I  am  a  Jew  only  by  the  accident  of  birth.  It  is  true,"  he 
continued,  "I  don't  believe  in  Christianity,  neither  am  I  an  atheist, 
but  in  that  I  don't  believe  in  the  inspiration  or  verity  of  the  Old 
Testament,  nor  in  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Jewish  religion, 
I  can  not  consider  myself  as  a  Jew,  otherwise  than  as  a  member 
of  the  race,  and  for  that  fact  I  am  in  no  wise  responsible." 

Recently  in  one  of  our  largest  cities,  a  gentleman  of  prom 
inence  and  ability  delivered  a  so-called  lay-sermon,  in  which  it 
was  proposed  to  set  forth  the  religious  views  of  the  American 
Jews.  In  this  lay-sermon,  the  lecturer  denounced  as  obsolete  doc- 


OPEN  LETTER  TO  THE  RABBIS.  155 

trines  some  of  the  most  important  and  cardinal  tenets  of  the 
Jewish  faith. 

I  could  continue  the  recital  of  facts  and  occurrences  which 
give  prominence  and  imminence  to  the  question  agitating  my 
mind  and  the  minds  of  others  viz. :  "Is  this  so-called  reform 
movement  in  America  merely  an  intelligent  and  conservative 
movement  designed  and  calculated  to  preserve  Judaism  by  ridding 
it  of  mere  trivial  forms  and  ceremonies  instituted  by  rabbis  in 
a  former  age,  or  is  it  a  revolution  affecting  doctrines  and  prin 
ciples  which  if  allowed  to  ripen  will  separate  the  Jews  in  America 
from  Judaism  and  make  them  easy  prey  for  other  denomina 
tions?" 

Has  this  question  not  occurred  to  you?  The  Rev.  W.  H. 
Campbell  has  evidently  considered  it.  The  American  born  Jew 
is  considering  it,  and  moreover  he  proposes  to  have  an  answer 
to  it.  It  is  not  easy  to  solve  the  problem,  because  we  have  no 
common  locus  standi,  except  that  we  want  to  preserve  Judaism. 
Having  reached  thus  far  the  old  question  recurs:  What  is 
Judaism?  I  read  and  you  do,  in  the  public  prints,  sermon  after 
sermon  in  reply  to  the  thread-bare  question,  Why  am  I  a  Jew? 
The  question  is  monotonously  uniform,  but  the  replies  are  only 
uniform  in  that  they  all  disagree  one  with  the  other.  In  view  of 
such  a  state  of  affairs  I  deem  it  small  wonder  that  my  fellows 
exclaim  "A  plague  on  all  your  houses." 

Let  us  ponder  boldly;  'tis  a  base  abandonment  of  reason  to 
resign  the  right  of  thought.  My  reverend  friends,  wax  not  wroth 
at  these  questionings.  Do  not  discard  them  with  a  sneer  of  con 
tempt.  Do  not  deride  the  presumption  of  laymen  who  question 
your  motives  or  deeds.  Remember  that  you  claim  the  right  to 
probe  into  the  motives  and  deeds  of  Moses.  Nay  of  Israel's 
God  himself.  Shall  you  be  exempt?  Shall  we  not  question? 
With  such  examples  before  them,  you  must  be  patient  when  the 
people  doubt  you,  and  ask  an  account  at  your  hands. 

We  want  light.  There  is  a  chaptic  condition  of  affairs  now 
existent  than  precludes  an  intelligent  selection  of  our  course.  Tell 
us,  what  is  Judaism? 

When  the  mariner  has  been  tossed  for  many  days  in  thick 


LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

weather  on  an  unknown  sea,  he  naturally  avails  himself  of  the 
first  pause  in  the  storm,  the  earliest  glance  of  the  sun,  to  take  his 
latitude  and  ascertain  how  far  the  elements  have  driven  him 
from  his  true  course.  Let  us  imitate  this  prudence  and  before 
we  float  farther,  refer  to  the  point  from  which  we  departed,  that 
we  may  at  least  be  able  to  conjecture  where  we  now  are. 

To  that  end  I  beg1  particularly  to  propound  certain  inter 
rogatories,  to  which  I  most  respectfully  pray  for  replies  either 
in  the  pulpit  or  the  press. 

I  ask  these  questions  in  no  captious  spirit,  and  I  sincerely  trust 
that  each  of  you  will  regard  them  as  entirely  proper  to  be  asked 
and  necessary  to  be  answered. 

i  st.  Is  Judaism  a  religion  that  may  be  defined  so  that  it  can 
be  distinguished  by  its  elements  from  all  other  creeds,  or  is  it  sim 
ply  any  system  of  doctrines  professed  by  Jews? 

2d.  If  it  be  a  religion  per  se,  are  its  fundamental  doctrines 
and  principles  of  divine  or  human  origin? 

3d.  If  \\  be  simply  the  doctrines  maintained  by  the  Jews,  then 
state  what  is  Judaism  when  the  Jews  do  not  all  believe  alike. 
Will  the  creed  of  the  majority  be  entitled  to  the  name? 

4th.  If  you  answer  yea,  to  the  foregoing  interrogatory,  state 
if  the  few  hundred  thousand  reformed  Jews  have  not  moved 
without  the  pale  of  Judaism. 

5th.  If  on  the  other  hand  you  answer  that  Judaism  is  a 
religion  per  se  then  state  if  its  cardinal,  fundamental  and  dis 
tinctive  doctrines  are  not  of  ancient  origin,  whether  human  or 
divine. 

6th.  Being  ancient  and  well  defined,  and  giving  character  to 
the  religion,  are  these  doctrines  and  principles  the  proper  subject 
matter  of  change  and  if  so  by  whom  may  they  be  altered? 

7th.  Who  is  invested  with  the  authority  to  make  any  change 
in  principles  and  doctrines  as  maintained  aforetime  and  whence 
was  that  authority  derived? 

8th.  If  you  answer  that  reason  is  the  authority,  then  state 
who  shall  test  the  quality  of  the  reason,  and  whether  if  reason 
conflicts  with  Judaism,  it  may  be  substituted  for  and  take  the 
name  of  Judaism. 


OPEN  LETTER  TO  THE  RABBIS.  157 

9th.  Was  Maimonides  a  Jew,  and  did  he  or  not  know  what 
Judaism  was,  as  taught  in  the  Old  Testament? 

loth.  Is  the  Old  Testament  the  proper  source  whence  to 
derive  the  truths  and  essentials  of  Judaism? 

nth.    Is  the  Old  Testament  true? 

1 2th.  Is  the  Old  Testament  an  inspired  book,  or  only  the 
work  of  human  hands  ? 

1 3th.  Did  Maimonides  correctly  state  the  doctrines  of  Juda 
ism  in  his  thirteen  articles  ?  If  not,  in  what  particular  did  he  err  ? 

I4th.  Is  it  true  that  the  rabbis  in  America  are  not  in  accord 
in  their  conceptions  or  definitions  of  Judaism? 

1 5th.  Is  it  true  that  many  rabbis  preach  what  they  do  not 
believe  ? 

1 6th.  Is  it  true  that  many  rabbis  believe  that  which  they  know 
conflicts  with  Judaism  and  hence  do  not  preach  it? 

1 7th.  Is  it  true  that  many  rabbis  are  rationalists,  pantheists, 
agnostics,  materialists  or  skeptics?  Do  you  belong  to  any  of 
these  classes? 

1 8th.    Do  you  believe  in  a  personal  god  ? 

1 9th.  Do  you  believe  in  the  efficacy  of  prayer?  That  is  to 
say,  do  you  believ©  that  God  hears  and  either  grants  or  refuses 
the  prayers  that  we  utter? 

2Oth.  Do  you  believe  that  Israel  has  the  divine  mission  to 
teach  God's  word  ? 

2 1  st.  Do  you  believe  in  revelation  as  narrated  in  the  Old 
Testament  ? 

22d.  Do  you  believe  in  the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  as  a  God 
ordained  holiday? 

23d.  Do  you  believe  that  a  religious  obligation  rests  upon 
the  Jews  to  practice  the  rite  of  circumcision? 

24th.  Do  you  believe  that  the  Jews  are  simply  a  religious 
community  or  a  race  of  people  with  a  divine  mission? 

25th.  Do  you  believe  that  there  exists  any  material  difference 
between  Judaism  and  any  other  religion  which  teaches  simply  a 
pure  monotheism  and  morality? 

26th.  What  are  the  distinctive  and  essential  elements  of  Juda 
ism? 


158  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

27th.  If  anyone  does  not  believe  in  them  does  he  not  cease 
to  be  a  Jew  from  a  religious  standpoint? 

28th.    Do  you  believe  in  them  ? 

29th.  Do  you  believe  in  anything  that  makes  your  belief  in 
Judaism  impossible? 

3Oth.  Have  you  defined  Judaism  as  you  would  have  it,  or  as 
it  is? 

In  conclusion  let  me  again  urge  you  not  to  ignore  this  appeal. 
It  will  not  go  unnoticed.  The  inquiring  mind  must  be  satisfied, 
and  unless  you  desire  to  encourage  the  prevailing  indifference 
and  hasten  the  hour  when  we  "shall  sit  in  the  shadow  of  our 
fathers'  declining  religion,"  you  will  give  earnest  heed  to  the 
problems  presented  above.  "Under  which  King  Benzonian? 
Speak  or  die." 

Awaiting  your  prompt  and  favorable  consideration  of  my 
great  dilemma,  I  remain, 

Your  Most  Obedient  and  Respectful  Servant. 


THE  JEWS  OF  TODAY  IN  AMERICA. 

Address  delivered  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  1884. 

Some  years  ago  a  distinguished  Rabbi  in  my  presence  pre 
dicted  the  early  decline  and  fall  of  Judaism,  and  the  Jews.  His 
gloomy  views  were  based  upon  the  fact  that  among  those  Jews 
who  were  not  indifferent  to  their  religion,  there  was  discord  oper 
ating  to  bring  about  ruin. 

So  far  from  agreeing  with  him,  I  ventured  to  prophesy  that 
in  the  American-born  Jew  would  be  found  a  force  not  only  to 
perpetuate  the  Jewish  religion,  but  to  endow  Jewish  social  and 
communal  life  with  such  dignity  and  virtue  as  would  add  new 
luster  to  our  history.  It  is  not  yet  timely  to  claim  that  my  fore 
cast  was  correct,  but  unless  I  am  mistaken  in  the  trend  of  the 
hearts  and  minds  of  the  young  American  Jews  it  was  not  without 
warrant. 

It  is  not  to  be  gainsaid  that  in  every  direction  we  find  affluent, 
educated  and  talented  young  men  who  chafe  under  certain  social 
limitations ;  who  sneer  at  their  race  and  religion,  and  who,  with 
ostentation,  manifest  not  only  indifference  to,  but  contempt  for, 
both.  But  to  a  great  extent  these  are  governed  rather  by  self- 
glorification,  than  any  deep-seated  aversion  to  Jews  or  Judaism, 
and  beneath  the  thin  veneer  of  such  self-worship,  there  abides 
an  ineradicable,  although  suppressed,  devotion  to  the  traditions 
and  duties,  if  not  to  the  doctrines,  of  our  race. 

The  Jew,  while  lamenting,  loves  the  restrictions  that  environ 
him.  The  scars  of  conflict,  although  disfiguring  and  fraught  with 
pain,  are  ever  the  sources  of  pride  and  the  objects  of  affection  to 
him  who  wears  them.  And  so  the  Jew,  who  perforce  recognizes 
the  limitations  which  surround  him  as  the  evidences  of  his  long 
and  heroic  struggle  with  relentless  foes,  in  his  innermost  heart 
loves  those  limitations  for  the  story  they  tell. 

159 


l6o  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

For  all  this,  there  are  doubtless  many  of  our  young  men  who 
are  so  far  dissatisfied  with  their  race  and  religion  that  they  wish 
to  separate  themselves  from  the  one  and  to  throw  off  the  other. 
But  if  there  be  among  us  some  weaklings  who  ostensibly  or 
actually  seek  to  kick  over  the  ladder  by  which  they  have  ascended ; 
who  would  destroy  the  family  Bible  because  in  its  pages  is  to  be 
found  the  family  religion,  and  on  its  fly  leaves  the  family  pedi 
gree,  it  is  undeniably  true  that  the  great  majority  of  our  youths 
are  loyal  to  their  people  and  to  the  essential  principles  of  the 
ancestral  faith. 

There  are  wide  differences  between  the  Jews  born  in  America 
and  the  foreign  fathers  who  begot  them.  The  thrift,  industry,  forti 
tude  and  domestic  virtues  which  distinguished  the  father  appear  in 
a  lesser  degree  in  the  son,  but  in  the  latter,  in  a  greater  degree,  are 
to  be  found  a  liberal  education,  the  graces  of  refined  society  and 
the  pride  engendered  by  an  atmosphere  of  religious  and  political 
freedom.  The  father  spent  his  youth  under  conditions  that  nat 
urally  narrowed  his  point  of  view.  Everywhere  for  him  was 
constraint.  Even  the  study  of  his  religion  was  conducted  under 
iron  rules,  and  the  observance  of  them  enforced  with  such  rigor 
that  no  latitude  was  allowed  for  expansion  of  thought.  When 
he  departed  from  his  native  home  and  established  himself  in 
free  America,  it  was  entirely  natural  that  the  restraints  which 
obtained  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic  should  be  thrown  off 
without  moderation.  Not  equipped  by  education  to  make  nice 
distinctions,  and  accustomed  to  the  mechanical  observance  of 
religious  ceremonies,  there  had  come  to  exist  in  his  mind  a  con 
fusion  between  the  spirit  and  the  forms  of  the  religion.  When, 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  new-found  liberty,  some  of  the  forms 
which  had  been  regarded  as  sacred,  were  no  longer  observed,  in 
a  spirit  of  bravado,  others  were  set  aside,  and  finally,  to  a  large 
extent,  a  derision  of  the  religion  took  the  place  of  its  former 
slavish  observance.  The  acquisition  of  wealth  intensified  the 
disposition  to  set  aside  the  religion.  It  would  be  unjust  to  say 
that  Mammon  had  been  set  up  to  be  worshiped,  but  it  would  be 
less  than  the  truth  if  I  should  fail  to  say  that  in  many  cases  the 
eager  quest  for  gold  had  become  so  absorbing  that  neither  time 


ORATION  DELIVERED  AT  MEMPHIS,  TENN.  l6l 

nor  inclination  was  left  for  the  religious  life.  But  with  the  off 
spring  of  these  emigrants  the  conditions  were  different.  They 
grew  up  in  an  atmosphere  of  liberty.  No  restrictions  of  any  kind 
were  imposed  upon  them.  They  were  not  driven  to  hardship  and 
suffering  by  the  lash  of  poverty.  They  were  not  debarred  the 
privileges  of  education,  but,  on  the  contrary,  wherever  talent  man 
ifested  itself  in  a  youth  he  was  urged,  not  only  by  his  own  inclina 
tion,  but  by  his  elders,  to  develop  such  talent  and  to  follow  some 
learned  profession.  And  so  we  find  that  while  less  than  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  have  passed  since  any  considerable  settle 
ment  of  Jews  in  the  United  States,  the  walks  of  every  learned 
profession  and  every  avenue  of  art  and  science  are  frequented 
by  Jews,  who  almost  invariably  have  forged  to  the  front  rank. 
These  young  men,  if  compared  with  their  fathers,  are  lamentably 
ignorant  of  the  religion  and  history  of  their  race.  They  have 
devoted  no  time  to  that  study  of  the  law  and  commentaries  thereon 
which  is  regarded  in  Europe  as  the  crown  of  glory,  but  they 
have  not  remained  altogether  uninformed,  and  the  larger  outlines 
of  Jewish  history  and  the  essential  elements  of  the  Jewish  faith 
have  found  lodgment  in  their  minds.  If  they  be  Americans,  more 
than  Jews,  their  very  Americanism  makes  them  bold  in  respect 
of  their  Jewish  lineage.  The  courage  and  chivalry  which  they 
prize  as  Americans  make  them  cling  with  tenacity  to  the  fortunes 
of  their  people,  and  if  this  seems  to  operate  at  times  to  their  detri 
ment  they  face  the  situation  without  quailing.  They  are  Amer 
icans  with  all  of  the  American  assertiveness,  pushing,  jostling 
and  rushing  through  life,  giving  and  taking  blows  with  courage 
and  good  humor,  striking  better  because  they  are  Americans  and 
enduring  better  because  they  are  Jews.  And  to  such  men  to 
whom  the  intellectual  life  was  a  choice,  the  religious  life  becomes 
a  necessity. 

The  barrenness  of  materialism  fails  to  satisfy  the  aspirations 
of  expanded  souls,  and  they  seek,  not  in  musty  books  nor  in 
cabalistic  characters,  for  their  faith,  but  in  open  volumes  which 
tell  in  plain  and  simple  language  those  essential  truths,  concern 
ing  which  there  can  be  but  little  dispute.  They  are  discontented 
with  existing  conditions.  Philosophy  is  unacceptable  as  a  sub- 


l62  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

stitute  for  religion  and  as  yet  they  are  groping  for  a  religion 
which  satisfies.  On  the  one  hand  they  reject  a  ritualism  which 
overshadows  righteousness,  and  on  the  other,  new  departures 
which  destroy  devotion.  But  the  worshipful  leaven  is  at  work 
within  them  and  will  cause  them  to  follow  Abraham  who  de 
stroyed  the  idols  in  his  father's  house,  and  upon  the  sands  of  the 
Chaldean  desert  found  and  communed  with  God. 

This  religious  spirit  is,  however,  of  recent  birth ;  indeed,  it 
may  be  characterized  as  embryonic.  It  has  taken  neither  shape 
nor  form;  it  has  set  up  no  dogmas  or  creeds;  it  is  simply  an 
aspiration  after  the  truth,  not  so  heavily  covered  as  to  be  suf 
focated,  or  so  naked  as  to  be  frozen.  But  it  manifests  itself  as 
all  true  religious  fervor  does,  in  a  yearning  to  serve  the  Almighty 
through  service  to  mankind. 

This  development  of  a  religious  spirit  is  not  new  in  the 
history  of  the  world;  indeed,  I  think  I  may  safely  say  that  the 
substratum  of  all  religion  consists  of  the  love  which  man  bears 
to  his  fellow-man.  Upon  this  foundation  he  builds  upward  until 
he  has  an  adequate  conception  of  the  relation  between  himself 
and  his  Creator. 

The  aspirations  to  which  I  have  referred  have  developed  and 
are  developing  energies  that  are  daily  seeking  subjects  upon 
which  to  operate.  And  these  latter  are  not  wanting.  To  the 
young  men  and  the  young  women  of  our  race  in  this  country 
are  coming  problems,  some  arising  from  new  conditions,  and 
others  handed  down  by  the  short-comings,  or  short-sightedness 
of  the  preceding  generation.  These  problems  are  pressing  and 
numerous.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  advert  to  all  of  them,  but  those 
which  I  shall  mention  will  doubtless  suggest  others  that  are  of  no 
less  importance. 

It  is  only  within  the  past  two  decades  that  we  have  had  such 
an  influx  of  ignorant  and  poverty-stricken  co-religionists  as  to 
make  their  presence  in  this  country  a  matter  for  serious  reflection. 
Prior  to  the  recent  persecutions  of  the  Jews  in  Russia  and  the 
Balkan  provinces,  the  emigration  to  this  country  from  Europe 
was  gradual  and  voluntary,  and  those  who  came  were  able,  by 
unaided  efforts  or  the  assistance  of  relatives  and  friends,  to  estab- 


ORATION  DELIVERED   AT  MEMPHIS,  TENN.  163 

lish  themselves  firmly  and  safely  in  their  new  homes.  Their 
prosperity  came  rapidly;  suffering  and  poverty  were  rare,  and 
out  of  the  exuberance  of  charity  the  prosperous  made  provision 
for  the  poor  and  the  suffering  without  any  careful  study  of  the 
proper  bounds  and  exercise  of  benevolence. 

Such  organizations  as  were  created  were  at  first  altogether 
local,  and  based  upon  unpretentious  European  models.  Aside 
from  the  benefactions  thus  administered,  individuals  not  only 
contributed  to  every  applicant  for  alms,  but  sought  out  deserv 
ing  cases  of  want  for  the  pleasure  of  alleviating  the  distress 
thus  discovered.  It  goes  without  saying  that  even  in  small  com 
munities  great  impositions  were  practiced,  but  those  who  were 
imposed  upon  contented  themselves  with  the  reflection  that  it  was 
better  to  give  to  ninety-nine  unworthy  beggars  than  to  refuse 
one  who  was  really  deserving.  This  superficial  view  has  been 
the  prolific  mother  of  many  mischiefs  in  philanthropic  work. 

A  moment's  reflection  should  convince  any  one  that  it  is  not 
sufficient  to  have  the  charitable  impulse  and  follow  it  by  benefac 
tions,  but  that  it  is  also  necessary  to  regard  charity  as  a  duty, 
the  performance  of  which  challenges  the  highest  intelligence,  firm 
ness  and  wisdom.  The  bestowal  of  alms  upon  the  unworthy  is  a 
corresponding  denial  to  the  deserving. 

As  the  Jewish  population  of  the  United  States  increased  the 
philanthropic  work  that  demanded  attention  overtaxed  the  pow 
ers  of  local  organizations.  In  the  larger  cities  eleemosynary  in 
stitutions  were  established  undertaking  to  provide  for  helpless  and 
deserving  persons,  for  the  care  of  whom  the  benevolent  societies 
were  incompetent.  It  would  be  difficult  to  overestimate  the  en 
thusiasm  exhibited  in  the  formation  and  the  conduct  of  such  insti 
tutions.  Local  pride  was  inflamed  and,  especially  among  the 
wealthy,  was  there  a  generous  rivalry  in  the  amount  of  contribu 
tions  offered  for  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  these  vari 
ous  asylums  for  the  poor.  Men  of  more  or  less  capacity  volun 
teered  their  time  and  attention,  as  well  as  their  money,  and  their 
efforts  and  their  sacrifices  were  rewarded  by  the  applause,  not 
only  of  local  communities  but  of  our  people  in  all  parts  of  the 
country.  The  distinction  thus  bestowed  upon  the  managers  of 


164  LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

•fganized  charities  stimulated  the  founding  of  others  in  which 
like  distinctions  were  sought.  A  somewhat  too  rapid  multiplica 
tion  was  the  natural  result.  It  was  not  deemed  necessary  to  study 
Whether  or  not  a  new  charity  was  demanded  or  whether  one  was 
more  deserving  than  another.  It  was  sufficient  that  what  was 
projected  was  good  in  itself,  and  that  the  means  to  carry  it  out 
were  forthcoming,  either  as  the  result  of  voluntary  contributions 
Of  such  as  were  obtained  by  personal  solicitation  on  the  part  of 
tfeose  whose  pride  was  enlisted  to  achieve  success.  This  success 
Wjfcs  estimated  by  the  amount  of  contributions  obtained,  and  the 
manner  in  which  they  were  employed.  Costly  and  beautiful 
eilifices  were  erected,  furnished  with  every  comfort,  and,  I  might 
sfcy,  almost  every  luxury  that  ingenuity  could  suggest  or  money 
provide,  and  a  rivalry  sprung  up  between  the  different  institu 
tions  in  which  each  sought  to  do  better  than  the  other  by  the 
objects  of  their  bounty.  Those  who  were  charged  with  the  man 
agement  of  a  particular  charity  as  a  rule  became  so  engrossed 
itt  the  work  that  they  would  devote  little,  if  any,  attention  to 
other  benefactions,  and  in  many  instances,  personal  influence 
Operated  so  strongly  in  favor  of  one  that  others  were  unintention 
ally  impeded. 

To  not  a  little  extent  this  condition  prevails  at  the  present 
time.  In  some  communities,  men,  actuated  by  a  charitable  spirit 
that  is  more  emotional  than  wise,  or,  in  rarer  cases,  by  personal 
ambition,  have  called  into  being  organizations  which  compete,  so 
to  speak,  with  others,  and  exploit  our  people  to  such  an  extent 
that  their  abilities  to  contribute  are  overtaxed.  So  long  as  the 
Jewish  public  was  able  to  provide  for  all  of  these  benefactions, 
without  stopping  to  inquire  which  were  the  more  deserving,  the 
evils  referred  to  were  not  and  could  not  be  obvious. 

But  since  there  have  come  to  our  shores  needy  and  ignorant 
co-religionists  equal  in  number,  perhaps,  to  those  who  had,  prior 
to  twenty  years  ago,  successfully  established  themselves  in  these 
United  States,  the  ratio  of  those  who  need  help  to  those  able  to 
extend  it,  has  risen  so  high  that  it  becomes  imperatively  neces 
sary  to  halt  and  take  our  bearings  in  philanthropic  matters. 

No  efforts  are  required  to  arouse  in  the  Jewish  heart  a  char- 


ORATION  DELIVERED   AT  MEMPHIS,  TENN. 

itable  emotion — it  has  always  found  an  abiding  place  there;  and 
if  anything,  it  is  too  impulsive  in  answering  the  appeal  of  the 
suffering.  What  is  necessary  is  to  educate  the  Jewish  mind  to  a 
proper  understanding  of  our  duty  in  respect  of  those  who  require 
our  assistance.  It  is  requisite  to  teach  anew  what  has  always 
been  a  doctrine  of  the  Jewish  church,  that  charity  is  simple  jus 
tice,  and  that  as  such  it  must  be  bestowed,  not  indiscriminatejy 
but  intelligently.  The  individual  must  be  taught  that  ordinarily 
the  direct  bestowal  of  alms  upon  the  mendicant  is  an  unwise,  and, 
therefore,  an  unjust  depletion  of  the  ability  of  the  alms-giver. 
Whatever  the  individual  has  to  bestow  in  charity  belongs  not  to 
him  but  to  the  deserving  poor.  He  is  but  a  trustee.  The  fund  is 
a  trust-fund  in  his  hands  in  the  disposition  of  which  he  should 
take  no  chances,  for  the  consequences  of  a  mistake  do  not  fall 
upon  him  but  upon  the  poor.  Moreover,  such  haphazard  and 
undiscriminating  charity  offers  a  premium  to  the  indolent  to 
forsake  the  paths  of  industry  and  rely  upon  alms  for  sustenance. 
The  time  has  arrived  when  we  must  deal  with  our  needy  from  a 
scientific  standpoint.  When  we  have  measured  our  ability  to 
contribute  to  charitable  work,  we  must  see  to  it  that  our  contribti- 
tions  achieve  the  best  results. 

This  can  be  done  only  through  organizations  administered 
with  the  highest  wisdom  and  without  regard  to  personal  ambition, 
or  the  pleasure  derived  therefrom  by  those  charged  with  tfte 
administration.  Moreover,  it  is  not  only  necessary  that  each 
particular  charity  should  be  thus  administered,  but  that  each 
should  be  administered  with  reference  to  all  the  others,  having 
in  mind  that  the  common  object  of  all  should  be  the  well-being  of 
all. 

In  every  civilized  government  there  are  numerous  depart 
ments,  each  necessary  to  carry  out  the  functions  of  the  govern 
ment,  but  each  so  related  to  all  the  others  that  by  the  operation 
of  all,  if  wisely  conducted,  the  best  results  for  the  people  can  be 
secured.  No  government  can  be  a  success,  in  which  a  less  inv 
portant  department  is  pampered  at  the  expense  of  one  that  is 
more  important.  If  the  revenues  of  the  government  are  devoted 
to  perfecting  one  agency  when  another  is  more  required,  disaster 


1 66  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

must  surely  result.  To  avoid  such  evils,  at  the  beginning  of  each 
fiscal  period  the  statesmen  who  conduct  public  affairs  make  a  bud 
get  of  the  expected  revenues  and  of  the  expenditures  required.  In 
the  raising  of  revenues  so  as  to  create  no  unnecessary  burdens, 
and  in  the  effective  distribution  thereof  in  the  public  interest,  is 
to  be  found  the  highest  statesmanship. 

After  such  a  model  should  be  created  some  system  of  philan 
thropy  in  this  country  among  our  people.  It  is  not  my  purpose  to 
formulate  and  declare  a  plan  that  will  be  effective  to  such  an  end. 
I  do  not  arrogate  to  myself  the  ability  to  outline  a  scheme  that 
would  be  satisfactory  to  others  or  even  to  myself,  but  if  I  can 
make  it  apparent  that  some  comprehensive  policy,  possessing 
national  as  well  as  local  features  is  required,  I  do  not  doubt  that 
the  means  to  achieve  the  same  will  be  found  in  a  multitude  of 
counsel.  I  shall  content  myself  with  the  simple  statement  of  a 
few  general  principles,  the  correctness  of  which  I  know  will  not 
be  challenged  and  the  application  of  which  to  existing  conditions 
can  readily  be  made. 

To  begin  with,  a  means  should  be  found  to  obtain  from  every 
one,  according  to  his  capacity,  contributions  in  effort  and  in 
money  for  the  alleviation  of  suffering,  and  for  war  upon  igno 
rance  among  our  people.  It  is  not  sufficient  that  a  few  should  give 
liberally.  It  is  necessary  that  all  should  contribute  justly  and  this 
is  true,  not  only  because  the  aggregation  of  many  contributions  of 
money  and  effort  will  be  of  greatest  service  to  the  poor  and  the 
ignorant,  but  because,  what  is  almost  equally  important,  it  will  be 
of  such  vast  benefit  to  those  who  give.  There  can  be  no  objection 
to  great  benefactions  from  the  rich,  but  these  must  not  excuse 
proportionately  liberal  benefactions  from  those  in  modest  cir 
cumstances.  Again,  while  great  and  occasional  gifts  should  be 
encouraged,  a  steady  revenue  for  charitable  purposes  should  be 
more  earnestly  striven  for.  When  it  is  ascertained,  as  it  can  be 
with  proper  organization,  what  sums  in  each  locality  and  in  the 
country  at  large,  can  be  counted  upon  for  philanthropic  work,  the 
best  thought  and  study  should  be  given  to  such  a  disposition  of 
these  revenues  as  will  accomplish  the  greatest  good  where  most 
urgently  required.  We  are  no  longer  in  that  happy  condition 


ORATION  DELIVERED   AT  MEMPHIS,  TENN.  167 

when  our  means  are  greater  than  the  calls  made  on  us;  on  the 
contrary,  the  demands  for  help  far  exceed  our  ability,  and  it  be 
hooves  us  to  so  manage  that  if  any  demand  be  left  unanswered  it 
shall  be  because  one  of  a  more  pressing  and  deserving  nature  has 
been  complied  with.  It  is  because  no  adequate  provision  has  been 
heretofore  made  for  such  management  that  I  find  fault  with  the 
administration  of  our  charities  up  to  the  present  time,  and  it  is 
in  the  hope  mainly  of  reforms  in  the  future  that  I  venture  the 
criticisms  contained  in  these  remarks. 

Conditions  would  be  ideal  if  among  our  people  in  this  country 
there  existed  one  great  organization  having  universal  support  and 
so  equipped  that  it  could  deal  effectively,  and  in  the  first  instance, 
with  national  matters,  and  in  a  supervisory  capacity  with  district 
and  local  affairs.  Such  an  organization  in  which  each  member 
would  stand  upon  a  parity  with  all  the  others,  and  in  which  the 
individual  contribution  to  the  general  funds  would  be  exceeding 
ly  small,  would  afford  an  opportunity  to  even  the  poor  among  us 
to  add  their  means  and  their  energies  to  philanthropic  undertak 
ings  without  lessening  the  opportunity  or  the  impulse  of  those  in 
better  circumstances  to  supplement  the  general  revenues  with 
large  occasional  donations.  Every  member  in  such  a  society 
would  naturally  feel  a  direct  interest  in  every  charitable  enter 
prise,  which  would  not  be  left,  as  is  largely  now  the  case,  in  the 
hands  of  a  minority  in  each  community  because  of  their  personal 
popularity  or  their  generous  contributions.  Moreover,  at  stated 
intervals,  representatives  of  the  members  could  and  would  meet 
in  conference  to  consider,  not  only  the  ways  and  means  of  raising 
revenues,  but  what  is  equally  important,  the  direction  in  which 
they  should  be  expended,  the  rate  of  the  expenditure  and  the 
preference,  if  any,  that  should  be  given  to  one  work  over  an 
other. 

To  carry  out  this  idea  it  would  not  be  necessary  for  existing 
or  future  orphan  asylums,  hospitals,  homes  for  the  aged,  etc.,  to 
surrender  their  autonomy.  It  has  been  found  that  even  in  institu 
tions  founded  and  conducted  by  the  B'nai  B'rith  and  other  orders, 
a  large  measure  of  independence  is  wisely  conferred  upon  the 
management.  But  the  occasion  for  establishing  such  asylums,  the 


l68  LEO   N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

order  in  which  they  should  be  called  into  existence,  the  general 
policy  to  be  pursued  in  conducting  them,  the  location  of  them  and 
kindred  questions,  should  be  confided  to  parliaments,  so  to  speak, 
in  which  large  districts  are  represented  and  in  which  local  pride 
and  personal  ambitions  must  yield  to  the  general  good. 

A  practical  illustration  of  this  thought  is  afforded  in  the  Sev 
enth  District  of  the  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith.  The 
Jewish  Widows'  and  Orphans'  Home  and  the  Touro  Infirmary  at 
New  Orleans  were  established  without  reference  to  the  B'nai 
B'rith.  Both  were  originally  more  or  less  local  in  their  opera 
tions.  But  in  time  each  sheltered  and  ministered  to  the  helpless 
and  suffering  from  all  the  States  composing  the  Seventh  District. 
Local  contributions  were  inadequate  for  the  service  required,  and 
contributions  from  other  communities  were  fitful  and  therefore 
unreliable.  Under  such  circumstances  the  Home  first,  and  the 
Infirmary  next,  sought  sanction  and  support  from  the  Seventh 
District.  Both  applications  were  granted.  From  the  funds  of 
the  District  each  institution  receives  Two  Dollars  per  annum  for 
each  member  of  the  District.  In  return  the  District  is  given  rep 
resentation  on  the  Board  of  Managers,  is  furnished  regularity 
with  all  reports  and  in  convention  is  afforded  an  opportunity  to 
influence  the  policy  and  administration  of  these  institutions.  Ev 
ery  innovation  of  importance  is  submitttd  to  the  Grand  Lodge  for 
approval.  The  annual  consideration  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  these 
charities  has  proven  a  wholesome  and  effective  agency.  Moreover, 
the  close  union  between  them  and  the  Order  has  made  it  certain 
that  no  rivals  will  arise  in  the  Seventh  District  until  circum 
stances  demand  them.  So  accustomed  are  the  people  to  rely 
upon  the  wisdom  of  their  representatives  in  the  Grand  Lodge 
that  if  a  new  Orphans'  Home  or  Hospital  were  proposed,  an  en 
dorsement  by  the  Grand  Lodge  would  be  a  prerequisite  of  suc 
cess. 

Among  the  evils  I  am  combatting  I  mention  only  a  few :  per 
sonal  ambition,  spite  and  vainglory  too  frequently  give  birth  to 
organizations  having  a  worthy  object  in  view,  but  for  which  there 
is  no  pressing,'  if  any,  need,  and  the  existence  of  which  imperils 
the  safety  and  effectiveness  of  others  more  deserving  because 


ORATION  DELIVERED   AT  MEMPHIS,  TENN. 

more  requisite.  It  would  be  amusing,  if  the  results  were  not  so 
serious  to  contemplate  the  numerous  associations  in  our  larger 
cities,  all  working  on  practically  independent  lines,  each  pushed 
with  energy  and  promoted  with  pride,  and  each,  in  a  measure, 
impeding  or  impairing  the  good  work  of  the  others — not  pur 
posely,  be  it  understood,  but  because  each  draws  from  the  com 
mon  stock  of  means  and  ability. 

Think  of  a  system,  or  want  of  system,  if  you  like,  of  philan 
thropic  work  in  which  time,  talent  and  money  are  expended  to  ac 
complish  worthy,  but  not  necessary,  ends,  and  in  which,  for  want 
of  means,  helpless  children  are  allowed  to  grow  up  in  need  and 
ignorance,  or,  what  is  worse,  to  die  for  want  of  proper  sustenance. 

I  have  no  desire  to  weary  you  with  statistics,  and  candor  com 
pels  me  to  say  that  I  have  no  comprehensive  and  accurate  statis 
tics  that  I  might  employ  on  this  occasion.  I  am  warranted,  how 
ever,  in  saying,  from  such  investigations  as  I  have  been  able  to 
make,  that  in  the  larger  cities,  especially,  not  exceeding  ten  per 
cent  of  the  Jewish  population  are  regular  contributors  to  organ 
ized  charity.  This  testifies,  most  eloquently,  to  existing  faults  in 
raising  revenues,  and  the  straightened  circumstances  of  our  most 
deserving  eleemosynary  institutions  prove  how  they  suffer  from 
the  existence  of  the  less  deserving.  It  goes  without  saying  that 
aside  from  the  waste  of  energy  and  means  involved  in  the  condi 
tions  which  I  have  named,  there  is  necessarily  an  extravagance  or 
want  of  economy  in  the  multiplication  of  societies.  In  most  all 
of  these,  salaries  must  be  paid  to  executive  officers,  and  other 
expenses  incurred  that  could  be  avoided  or  curtailed  by  more 
comprehensive  organization.  I  have  in  mind  one  association,  na 
tional  in  its  character,  which,  according  to  the  official  reports,  ex 
pends  one-fourth  of  its  revenues  in  salaries.  But  yet  another  evil 
has  grown  up,  and  which  would  be  corrected  if  these  problems 
were  studied  scientifically  and  discussed  along  lines  that  took  no 
account  of  personal  ambitions  or  pride. 

In  our  asylums  and  hospitals  too  much  attention  has  been 
paid  to  art,  beauty  and  luxury.  There  is  too  much  pride  in  the 
beauty  of  the  structures  and  their  surroundings;  in  the  cost  of 
the  buildings  and  the  furnishings;  in  the  high  character  of  the 


I7O  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

food  and  the  service.  The  pleasure  of  exhibiting  all  these  fea 
tures  to  the  glory  of  the  management  is  not  the  least  consideration 
in  the  conduct  of  affairs.  For  one  I  am  constrained  to  find  fault 
in  those  things  which  are  generally  esteemed  virtues.  When  I 
say  this,  my  criticism  falls  upon  myself  as  well  as  upon  any  other, 
for  until  circumstances  compelled  me  to  reflect  more  deeply  upon 
the  subject,  I,  too,  rejoiced  over  the  magnificence  with  which  our 
different  charities  were  being  conducted.  But  maturer  reflection 
has  convinced  me  that  in  philanthropic  work  the  pride  and  glory 
of  the  philanthropist  should  be  entirely  subordinate  to  the  well- 
being  of  the  object  of  his  bounty.  It  is  not  for  our  sake  that  we 
should  give  or  do,  but  for  the  sake  of  those  who  stand  in  need, 
and  doing  and  giving  are  duties  to  be  performed  as  if  we  were 
paying  a  debt  that  might  be  rightfully  claimed  from  us.  If  this  be 
a  correct  proposition,  it  behooves  us  to  inquire  who  are  our  cred 
itors  and  what  must  be  done  in  order  to  discharge  the  obligation. 
We  shall  not  do  our  duty  if  we  overpay  one  creditor  and  deny 
another  altogether.  We  must  be  just  as  well  as  generous,  and  if 
we  cannot  be  both,  let  us  be  just.  Can  we  satisfy  our  conscience 
by  taking  one  of  a  number  of  poverty-stricken  proteges,  and,  as 
it  were,  rolling  him  in  the  lap  of  luxury  while  the  others  are  left 
without  any  share,  whatever,  in  our  bounty?  This  is  what  is 
frequently,  if  not  generally,  done  under  the  present  want  of  sys 
tem  in  the  administration  of  Jewish  benefactions. 

I  cannot  undertake,  within  the  limits  of  a  single  address,  to 
go  far  into  details.  It  will  suffice,  however,  to  illustrate  my  mean 
ing,  to  deal  even  superficially  with  our  orphan  asylums.  Every 
where  our  people  look  with  pride  and  tenderness  upon  these  shel 
ters  for  the  helpless  ones  who  are  denied  parental  protection.  To 
me,  as  a  rule,  they  are  a  reproach,  not  because  those  who  contrib 
ute  to  them  and  administer  to  them  are  not  actuated  by  the  loftiest 
motives,  but  because  in  the  genesis  and  careers  of  these  institu 
tions  cetrain  principles  have  been  lost  sight  of,  the  non-observ 
ance  of  which  have  led  to  great  wrong. 

Let  me  refer  to  an  official  report  which  is  by  no  means  unique : 
In  the  Forty-first  Annual  Report  of  the  Jewish  Foster  Home  and 
Orphan  Asylum  of  Philadelphia,  issued  in  1896,  is  to  be  found  the 


ORATION  DELIVERED   AT  MEMPHIS,  TENN.  I /I 

following  language  in  the  President's  message :  "For  the  first  time 
in  the  history  of  this  institution,  a  period  now  covering  forty-one 
years,  we  have  in  the  home  107  children,  the  largest  number  ever 
housed  at  any  one  time.  The  number,  however,  might,  by  this 
time,  have  been  much  larger  if  our  income  had  warranted  the  ad 
ditional  expenditure.  The  applications  continue  as  heretofore, 
among  them  many  worthy  cases,  which  we  are  compelled  to  either 
turn  away  or  to  put  off  until  a  vacancy  occurs.  While  the  Ad 
mission  Committee  is  justified  in  this  course,  the  members  feel 
themselves  much  hampered  in  their  work  and  great  injustice  is 
done  to  many  worthy  orphans.  This  state  of  affairs  should  no  long 
er  be  permitted  to  exist  in  such  a  large  community  as  Philadelphia, 
whose  citizens  have  always  supported  every  noble  charity  so  lib 
erally.  We  cannot  permit  our  Jewish  orphans  to  go  to  other  de 
nominations  for  support,  and  when  such  a  case  occurs  it  is  im 
mediately  drawn  to  our  attention  and  peremptory  orders  given 
that  the  children  must  be  taken  care  of  by  us.  Cases  of  this  kind 
have  occurred  recently,  and  must  occur  again  if  we  cannot  pro 
vide  for  them." 

In  the  report  for  1897  of  the  Jewish  Hospital  Association  of 
Philadelphia,  it  is  stated  that  the  Jewish  population  of  Philadel 
phia  is  about  50,000,  but  the  contributors  to  the  Hospital  number 
only  1,242.  The  regular  contributors  to  the  Orphan  Asylum  are 
not  materially  in  excess  of  those  to  the  Hospital.  It  will  be  ob 
served  from  the  report  that  for  want  of  funds  the  Orphan  Asylum 
has  been  compelled,  habitually,  to  turn  away  worthy  applicants 
for  admission.  Should  this  condition  of  affairs  exist,  even  though 
no  additional  revenues  can  be  obtained?  These  107  children  are 
housed  in  a  palace;  they  are  the  recipients  of  donations  of  food, 
clothing,  and  a  vast  variety  of  comforts  and  luxury,  the  value  of 
which  is  not  charged  as  part  of  the  expenses.  And  yet,  without 
counting  rent,  which  among  the  poor  is  always  a  very  consider 
able  item,  it  costs,  in  round  figures,  $200  per  annum  to  maintain 
each  of  these  orphans.  If  interest  be  computed  upon  the  value  of 
the  Asylum,  by  way  of  rent,  this  per  capita  would  be  largely  in 
creased.  Other  things  being  equal,  it  is  more  economical  to 
house,  feed  and  clothe  a  large  number  of  people  under  a  single 


172  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

organization  than  it  would  be  to  house,  feed  and  clothe  the  same 
number  of  people  separately  or  under  smaller  organizations. 

The  Cleveland  Orphan  Asylum  in  1897  reported  500  orphans, 
with  an  annual  expenditure  of  about  $60,000,  making  the  per 
capita  expense  $120  per  annum  as  against  $200  per  annum  at  the 
smaller  asylum  in  Philadelphia. 

I  think  it  safe  to  assume  that  the  cost  of  maintaining  an  adult 
is  ordinarily  twice  that  of  maintaining  a  child.  An  average  fam 
ily  consists  of  man,  wife  and  five  children,  or  what  would  be  the 
equivalent  of  nine  children.  At  $200  per  annum  for  each  child, 
the  expenses  of  an  ordinary  family  would  be  $1,800  per  annum; 
but  in  order  to  be  on  a  parity  with  these  asylums,  such  a  family 
should  have  no  rent  to  pay,  no  taxes  to  pay,  no  doctor's  bills,  and 
should  receive  many  donations  of  clothing,  fuel,  food,  transporta 
tion,  etc.,  from  day  to  day  and  almost  daily.  If  the  head  of  a 
family  had  a  fixed  income  of  $1,800  and  house  rent  free,  with  im 
munity  from  taxes  and  doctor's  bills,  and  should  pose  as  an  ob 
ject  of  charity,  he  would  be  denounced  as  an  unworthy  creature. 
Indeed,  under  such  favorable  circumstances,  he  would  be  ex 
pected  not  only  to  support  his  family  and  rear  his  children 
in  comfort,  but  even  to  make  some  small  savings.  I  do  not  doubt 
that  we  have  many  among  us  on  this  occasion  whose  income  does 
not  exceed  the  sum  I  have  mentioned  and  who  from  it  must  pay 
not  only  the  expenses  of  maintenance  that  are  properly  chargeable 
against  the  orphans,  but  house  rent  and  doctor's  bills.  Again,  I 
find  in  some  asylums  that  about  $1,000  is  employed  permanently 
for  the  housing  of  each  orphan.  Applying  this  same  ratio  to  an 
ordinary  family,  the  poor  man's  home  should  be  estimated  at 
$9,000.  But  the  per  capita  cost  of  housing  100  or  150  people  in 
one  building  is  relatively  smaller  than  to  house  the  same  number 
of  people  in  fifteen  or  twenty  different  buildings.  It  follows  that 
if  the  ordinary  family  were  housed  and  sheltered  in  the  same 
style  as  is  maintained  in  some  of  our  orphan  asylums,  the  poor 
man's  home  would  be  an  exceedingly  expensive  affair.  When 
such  things  stare  us  in  the  face,  can  we  be  satisfied  with  the  state 
ment  that  there  are  many  orphans  denied  admission  to  our  asy 
lums  because  of  want  of  funds?  Do  not  wisdom  and  justice  sug- 


©RATION  DELIVERED  AT  MEMPHIS,  TENN.  173 

gest  that  we  should  adopt  a  different  policy  so  as  to  materially 
reduce  the  per  capita  cost  and  increase  the  number  of  inmates? 
Moreover,  leaving  aside  the  question  of  cost,  and  assuming  that 
our  means  are  adequate  to  take  care  of  all  the  deserving  ones  in 
the  style  which  has  been  hitherto  observed,  is  it  well  for  the  little 
ones  that  they  should  be  reared  in  luxury,  so  to  speak,  and  after 
a  childhood  passed  under  such  circumstances,  be  launched  out  to 
fight  the  world  with  no  resources?  They  may  be  well  educated, 
well  disciplined  in  morals  and  manners,  but  coming  as  they  do 
from  a  little  world  of  their  own,  in  which  there  have  been  no 
storms  and  no  trials,  in  which  they  have  felt  no  sorrows  and  en 
dured  no  hardships,  in  which  they  have  learned  no  self-reliance 
nor  cultivated  any  aggressiveness,  in  which  every  want  has  been 
filled  for  them  by  the  kind  and  tender  hands  of  others,  they  enter 
the  world  under  the  greatest  disadvantages.  They  are  like  flow 
ers  that  have  been  reared  in  a  hot-house  and  suddenly  compelled 
to  endure  the  chill  blasts  of  winter. 

We  need  reform  in  the  administration  of  our  charitable  or 
ganizations.  We  must  seek  to  make  them  havens  and  not  heavens, 
and  as  havens  they  should  be  broad  enough  and  roomy  enough 
to  take  in  all  who  require  shelter  and  sustenance,  and  to  that  end 
let  the  sustenance  and  shelter  be  so  modest  in  quality  and 
measured  in  quantity  as  to  be  sufficient  and  no  more.  This,  in 
my  humble  judgment,  will  be  charity  of  a  loftier  nature  than  to 
endow  a  few  victims  of  misfortune  with  every  comfort  and  lux 
ury,  while  other  equally  deserving  sufferers  receive  nothing  but 
our  sympathy. 

Doubtless  these  criticisms  will  not  be  received  on  every  hand 
in  the  same  spirit  in  which  they  are  uttered.  We  are  all  prone 
to  object  to  fault-finding  which  is  directed  towards  ourselves.  I 
shall  sincerely  deplore  any  resentment  engendered  by  my  words. 
My  criticisms  have  a  great  object  in  view  and  should  be  received 
with  kindness.  If  I  am  correct  the  accused  stand  convicted  of 
no  greater  offense  than  being  too  generous,  and  reforms  will  fol 
low  ;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  I  am  wrong,  it  will  be  an  easy  matter 
to  show  my  error.  Let  the  subject  be  discussed  calmly  but  ear 
nestly.  Let  the  statistics  be  gathered  from  other  institutions,  espe- 


174  LEO   N-    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

cially  non-Jewish,  and  let  comparisons  be  made.  Such  investi 
gation  will  demonstrate,  that  if  orphans  be  housed  in  cheap  but 
healthful  quarters,  fed  and  clothed  as  befits  people  in  humble  cir 
cumstances,  at  least  two  can  be  reared  for  what  it  now  costs  us  to 
rear  one.  If  such  a  suggestion  makes  me  appear  harsh  to  the 
wards  within  our  walls,  let  it  be  remembered  that  I  am  consider 
ate  of  those  without.  If  your  eyes  swim  at  the  thought  of  cur 
tailing  the  comforts  now  enjoyed  by  our  proteges,  I  ask  what  of 
those  who  demand  our  protection  and  are  wholly  denied?  He  is 
not  a  good  father  who  feeds  a  favored  few  of  his  children  on 
dainties,  while  the  others  are  permitted  to  go  hungry. 

If  I  have  singled  out  our  Orphan  Asylums  to  comment  upon 
it  must  not  be  understood  that  the  objections  raised  apply  to  them 
alone.  On  the  contrary,  the  objections  obtain  generally  to  our 
eleemosynary  institutions.  Happily  our  own  Orphan  Asylum  at 
New  Orleans  is  exempt  from  many  of  the  criticisms  I  have  ut 
tered.  No  orphan  has  yet  been  denied  admission  to  that  refuge, 
but  let  us  heed  the  experience  of  others  and  look  far  into  the  fu 
ture.  In  the  report  of  President  Gabe  Kahn,  dated  March  20, 
1898,  occurs  this  significant  sentence:  "The  wants  of  our  Home 
are  constantly  increasing ;  so  is  the  population  of  this  city  and  of 
the  entire  South,  from  which  demands  on  our  resources  may  be 
expected  to  come  in  ever-growing  quantities." 

But  I  may  be  asked  to  indicate  somewhat  more  specifically 
than  I  hav£,  how  a  practical  remedy  may  be  found  for  the  evils 
to  which  I  have  adverted.  In  reply  I  would  say  that  I  have  al 
ready  pointed  out  that  to  the  young  men  and  to  the  young  women 
among  our  people  must  be  left  the  solution  of  these  and  kindred 
problems.  I  have  also  indicated  that  their  work  must  be  accom 
plished  through  organization.  It  remains  to  be  considered  wheth 
er  a  new  organization  is  required.  I  think  not. 

We  have  one  already  that  has  been  in  existence  for  more  than 
a  half  century,  that  is  not  only  co-extensive  with  the  limits  of  this 
country,  but  has  established  a  firm  foothold  in  Europe,  Asia  and 
Africa.  It  has  a  history  of  which  it  may  be  proud,  and  if  in  that 
history  are  to  be  found  countless  errors  and  failures,  it  must  not 


ORATION  DELIVERED   AT   MEMPHIS,  TENN.  175 

be  forgotten  that  it  has  outlived  them  all  and  has  survived  by  vir 
tue  of  its  inherent  forces  operating  to  good  ends. 

The  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith  does  not  derive  uni 
versal  support  among  the  Jews.  It  is  not  fashionable.  Like  all 
organizations  that  are  democratic  and  catholic  in  their  make-up 
and  operations,  it  has  excited  hostility  in  the  breasts  of  those  who 
are  exclusive,  and  disposed  to  set  themselves  upon  a  plane  higher 
than  that  occupied  by  the  general  mass  of  their  fellows.  It  is 
further  opposed  because  at  times  it  has  taken  up  work  not  calcu 
lated  to  arouse  the  loftiest  sentiments  and  has  occasionally  been 
diverted  from  its  best  missions.  Moreover,  it  has  had  among  its 
leaders,  from  time  to  time,  some  men  who  were  personally  unpop 
ular,  or  who  employed  the  organization  to  promote  selfish  ambi 
tions  and  finally,  for  want  of  better  leadership  it  has,  time  and 
again,  fallen  into  a  state  of  inertia  which  indicated  to  the  super 
ficial  observer  that  it  had  outlived  its  usefulness.  That  it  has  sur 
vived  all  these  adversities  should  excite  serious  reflection  in  the 
minds  of  every  Jew  having  at  heart  the  future  welfare  of  his  peo 
ple.  This  brotherhood,  like  all  human  organizations,  is  full  of 
infirmities,  but  these  are  either  accidental  or  incidental  and  not  in 
herent,  and  underlying  all  and  pervading  all  is  a  vital  and  en 
during  force  which  called  it  into  being,  and  will  perpetuate  it  as 
long  as  that  principle  is  dear  to  our  people.  This  vital  and  en 
during  force  is  philanthropy,  not  upon  any  narrow  grounds,  but 
upon  the  broadest  principles  of  humanity — a  philanthropy  that 
looks  to  succoring  the  widow  and  the  orphan,  the  poor  and  the 
needy,  the  helpless  and  the  distressed;  to  encouraging  science, 
literature  and  art,  to  elevating  the  mental  and  moral  nature  of 
our  race.  Such  a  platform  is  sound  enough  and  broad  enough 
to  invite  upon  it  every  Jew  without  respect  to  the  shade  of  his  re 
ligious  belief,  the  country  of  his  nativity,  his  avocation  in  life,  or 
his  social  station.  The  mission  of  the  B'nai  B'rith  is  not  ended, 
nor  will  it  be  as  long  as  grave  problems  confront  our  people.  The 
first  and  most  successful  Jewish  fraternal  order  will  not  perish 
from  the  earth,  although  it  may  lie  dormant  at  times  for  lack  of 
leaders  among  us  quick  to  perceive  the  problems  that  beset  us, 
and  ready  to  labor  for  their  solution. 


176  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Among  the  young  men  are  to  be  found  such  leaders.  I  have 
an  abiding  faith  that  they  will  not  only  preserve  what  has  been 
achieved  but  add  new  glories  to  the  record  made.  They  will  not, 
in  utter  selfishness,  deny  themselves  to  their  suffering  brothers, 
or  in  utter  folly  hope  to  aid  them  without  organization.  They 
will  not  refuse  their  aid  because  this  organization  is  not  perfect 
in  its  operations,  but  on  the  contrary,  with  true  American  ag 
gressiveness,  will  take  part  to  correct  its  shortcomings.  They 
will  not  because  of  their  own  happiness  hug  the  delusion  that  oth 
ers  are  free  of  misery,  but  on  the  contrary,  out  of  gratitude  for 
the  blessings  they  enjoy,  will  labor  to  make  others  happy.  We 
need  and  we  call  for  such  reinforcements  in  our  war  against  pov 
erty,  ignorance  and  disease. 

In  the  successful  conduct  of  this  war  lies  fame — if  that  be  a 
desideratum  to  any  member — but  above  and  far  more  reaching 
than  this  is  the  satisfaction  that  will  come  to  him  who  has  ex 
hibited  in  some  practical  manner  his  love  for  his  fellow-men.  And 
so  I  say  to  the  young  men  and  the  young  women,  to  whom  these 
words  may  come,  there  is  no  field  of  labor  that  more  directly  chal 
lenges  the  exercise  of  your  highest  energies  than  that  which  I 
have  pointed  out.  To  the  extent  that  you  have  the  power  to 
study  and  grasp  these  problems,  possess  yourselves  thereof,  and 
with  patience,  courage  and  utter  sinking  of  self,  labor  to  solve 
them.  Every  effort  in  such  a  direction  is  a  prayer  to  which  you 
will  find  a  full  and  adequate  response  whenever  you  have  suc 
ceeded  in  substituting  a  smile  for  a  tear  and  a  laugh  for  a  groan. 
If  you  shrink  from  taking  up  such  work  because  it  will  bring  you 
into  unpleasant  associations,  or  involve  you  in  labor,  or  subject 
you  to  disappointments  and  even  to  affronts,  do  not  forget  that 
great  works  cannot  be  achieved  without  great  sacrifices,  and  that 
when  duty  beckons,  we  should  respond  with  ready  feet,  though 
the  road  be  obstructed  and  full  of  thorns.  You  have  inherited  a 
history  that  imposes  sacrifices  upon  you,  and  by  making  them  you 
will  bequeath  to  those  who  follow  you,  a  history  fit  to  be  linked 
with  that  which  your  fathers  made. 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA. 

BY  LEO  N.  LEVI. 

How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  Oh  Jacob!  thy  tabernacles,  Oh 
Israel. — (24  Numbers  5.) 

PREFACE. 

In  May,  1884,  the  writer  had  occasion  to  deliver  a  speech  in 
which  he  set  forth  his  views  upon  some  of  the  subjects  discussed 
in  this  volume.  At  the  conclusion  of  his  remarks  he  was  urged 
to  allow  them  to  be  published.  The  speech  being  extemporaneous 
this  was  not  feasible  at  the  time,  but  under  the  impulse  of  the 
moment  a  promise  was  made  that  his  views  should  be  committed 
to  paper,  by  the  speaker.  The  result  was  a  series  of  papers  pre 
pared  during  such  leisure  as  was  afforded  by  a  busy  professional 
life,  and  which  papers  were  published  serially  in  the  "American 
Israelite"  under  the  title  of  "The  Jews  of  Today." 

The  most  flattering  reception  was  accorded  to  this  essay  and 
no  little  discussion  was  provoked  by  the  ideas  advanced  therein. 
From  all  parts  of  the  country  the  author  has  been  earnestly  re 
quested  to  publish  his  work  in  a  more  convenient  and  durable 
form.  Thus  moved,  he  has  revised  and  corrected  it  as  well  as 
could  be  done  in  the  limited  time  at  his  disposal,  and  he  now  ven 
tures  to  submit  it  to  the  charitable  criticism  of  the  public. 

LEO  N.  LEVI. 

Galveston,  Texas,  July  4,  1887. 


177 


INTRODUCTION. 

It  is  my  purpose  to  discuss  the  present  status  and  consequent 
duties  of  the  Jews,  and  especially  of  those  residing  in  the  United 
States  of  America. 

It  may  become  necessary  at  times  in  the  course  of  this  essay, 
to  take  a  hasty  glance  at  the  larger  and  most  general  outlines 
of  modern  Jewish  history.  No  effort,  however,  will  be  made 
to  convey  such  information  as  it  is  the  province  of  the  historian 
to  impart.  This  is  in  no  sense  of  the  word  an  historical  effort, 
and  it  is  addressed  to  those  who  are  presumed  to  be  familiar 
with  the  traditions  and  chronicles  of  the  Jews.  From  the  his 
tory  of  this  people  I  shall,  however,  seek  to  obtain  support  for 
the  propositions  I  shall  advance. 

Naturally  enough,  considering  the  purpose  of  my  work,  I 
shall  address  myself  principally  to  my  co-religionists.  I  shall, 
so  far  as  I  may  be  able,  confine  myself  to  a  conservative  exam 
ination  and  discussion  of  my  subject.  I  recognize,  however,  the 
probability  of  a  surrender  at  times  to  those  sentiments  which 
naturally  arise  from  blood,  birth  and  education.  I  presume  I 
am  not  more  free  than  other  men  from  ordinary  human  weak 
nesses,  and  I  desire  to  apologize  in  advance  for  any  enthusiasm 
that  may  savor  of  extravagance. 

For  the  Jewish  faith  I  have  that  veneration  which  is  due  to 
the  oldest  and  most  enduring  of  all  religions ;  and  for  the  people 
who  have  practiced  and  preserved  it  for  thousands  of  years  I 
have  the  most  unbounded  admiration.  As  each  succeeding  cen 
tury  unfolds  to  wider  scope  the  history  of  the  world,  more 
apparent  becomes  the  sublimity  and  grandeur  of  that  portion 
of  it  which  pertains  to  the  Jew.  The  traveler  in  passing  through 

178 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  179 

a  valley,  fails  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  its  outlines,  its  extent, 
or  its  general  features.  The  murmur  of  the  brook,  the  music  of 
the  trees,  the  odor  of  the  flowers,  the  verdure  of  the  sward, 
attract  and  intoxicate  the  eye,  but  familiar  acquaintance  with 
these  details  does  not  leave  a  general  and  comprehensive  idea 
of  the  whole.  But  when  the  limits  of  the  valley  are  reached, 
and  the  wearied  traveler  climbs  the  summit  of  a  hill,  he  turns 
and  sees,  not  the  lovely  flowers  and  trees  and  lawns  that  erst 
while  so  delighted  him — they  are  merged  in  the  larger  outlines 
of  the  landscape — but  his  eye  takes  in  the  boundaries  of  the 
valley,  notes  the  relative  position  of  each  hill  and  wood,  and 
traces  through  the  scene  the  silvery  thread  of  the  winding 
stream.  The  little  delights  and  sweet  sensations  produced  by 
the  brook's  babble,  or  the  gay  colors  of  a  wild  flower,  are  no 
longer  experienced,  but  in  their  stead  is  the  quiet  satisfaction 
of  viewing  a  wide  landscape,  beautiful  in  its  outlines,  and  hau- 
monious  in  its  blending  of  light  and  shade.  The  future  is  to 
history  like  the  mountain  to  the  valley.  It  is  only  when  the 
details  of  events  are  lost  in  their  larger  outlines  that  we  can 
take  a  comprehensive  view  of  them  and  understand  their  true 
relation  to  other  events  and  to  history  as  a  whole. 

No  feature  in  the  landscape  of  the  past  is  so  prominent  as 
the  Jew ;  none  so  full  of  interest,  none  so  fruitful  of  the  lessons 
that  may  and  should  be  drawn  from  what  has  transpired.  To 
make  a  comprehensive  history  of  the  Jew  is  to  write  a  history 
of  the  world.  He  is  associated  with  its  genesis,  its  government 
and  its  destiny.  He  furnished  the  medium  through  which  was 
promulgated  a  code  of  general  laws,  comprised  in  hardly  a  dozen 
sentences,  yet  so  complete  that  it  embraces  the  whole  course  of 
life,  and  so  correct  that  its  justice  is  not  questioned.  The  great 
est  exemplars  of  all  that  is  true,  beautiful,  good,  wise  and  pow 
erful  in  humanity  were  Jews.  From  their  ranks  were  drawn 
the  greatest  lawgiver,  the  wisest  ruler,  the  most  valiant  warrior, 
and  sweetest  singer,  and  the  most  celebrated  of  all,  that  lowly 
man  whose  sinless  life  and  martyrdom  on  the  cross  founded 
a  religion  that  numbers  its  devotees  by  millions  in  every  civilized 
portion  of  the  globe. 


l8o  LEO   N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

There  is  much  that  is  dark  and  unattractive  in  the  history 
of  the  Jews,  but  these  blemishes  serve  to  bring  out  in  more  vivid 
contrast  the  prevailing  colors  of  virtue  and  truth.  It  is  not  to 
be  wondered  at,  that  they  should  inspire  interest,  admiration 
and  respect  in  every  bosom ;  it  should  excite  amazement  that  any 
Jew  should  be  wanting  in  pride  of  race.  Entertaining  such 
views,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  I  shall  give  way  at  times  to  senti 
ments  inspired  by  them.  Perhaps  I  am  an  enthusiast,  because 
of  the  prevalence  imong  many  contemporaneous  American  Jews 
of  an  indifference  to  the  ancient  traditions  of  their  race.  The  flint 
throws  out  no  spark  save  when  much  enforced.  But  for  that 
indifference,  I  should  not  perhaps  have  been  stirred  to  the  con 
viction  that  if  we  are  to  fulfill  our  manifest  destiny  we  must 
preserve  our  integrity  as  a  people,  and  that  to  preserve  our  in 
tegrity  it  is  necessary  to  be  loyal  to  the  teachings  and  traditions 
of  our  fathers. 

Before  proceeding,  however,  to  the  discussion  of  the  prob 
lems  presented  by  the  present  status  of  the  Jews  in  the  United 
States,  let  us  pause  to  consider  the  causes  which  have  brought 
about  the  remarkable  developments  in  Jewish  history  now  ex 
hibited  in  this  country. 

There  are  at  present,  according  to  the  accepted  estimates, 
between  300,000  and  400,000  Jews  in  the  United  States  of 
America.  The  vast  majority  of  these  are  composed  of  those 
who  came  to  this  country  within  the  last  half  century,  and  of 
their  descendants.  The  Jewish  immigrants  to  the  United  States 
of  America  have  come  principally  from  Germany,  Poland  and 
Russia.  The  causes  which  led  them  to  forsake  their  native 
shores  were,  in  a  large  measure,  the  same  which  influenced  the 
immigrant  at  large.  Persecution  and  oppression  at  home  and 
the  inborn  desire  for  liberty,,  impelled  the  Jews  of  tyrannical 
Germany  and  Russia  to  seek  new  homes  in  a  country  of  such 
great  opportunities  as  ours. 

Naturally  enough,  the  majority  of  the  immigrants  was  com 
posed  of  those  who  were  unable  to  achieve  a  comfortable  liveli 
hood  and  a  respectable  position  in  society  at  home  and  conse- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  igl 

quently  the  morale  of  the  early  Jewish  population  of  the  United 
States  was  not  of  a  very  high  standard. 

The  revolution  of  1848  in  Germany,  however,  influenced  a 
great  many  highly  educated  Jews  to  come  to  America  where 
they  might  express  their  views  without  fear  of  governmental 
interference. 

The  leaven  of  intelligence  which  thus  entered  into  the  Jewish 
colony  in  America,  was  productive  of  great  results.  There  was 
already  present  as  the  result  of  an  early  exodus  from  Europe, 
a  small,  but  highly  cultured  and  very  proud  representation  of 
the  Portuguese  and  Spanish  Jews  commonly  called  Sephardim. 
They  esteemed  themselves  the  aristocracy  of  the  Jews  and  looked 
down  upon  the  Ashkenazim,  as  the  German  and  Polish  Jews 
are  called,  with  the  contempt  ordinarily  exhibited  towards  in 
feriors.  This  haughty  exhibition  on  the  part  of  the  Sephardim 
speedily  kindled  a  spirit  of  resentment  on  the  part  of  the  liberty- 
loving  Germans,  who  had  forsaken  their  homes  in  order  that 
they  might  enjoy  the  blessings  of  freedom. 

The  Sephardim  have  always  been  conservative  in  their  main 
tenance  of  the  traditional  religion  of  the  Jews,  and  the  customs 
of  their  ancestry,  and  even  an  atmosphere  of  liberty  has  not 
caused  them  to  forsake  the  traditions  of  their  fathers.  Aris 
tocracies  are  proverbially  conservative  and  this  perhaps  may 
explain  why  the  haughty  Portuguese  have  been  so  slow  to  adopt 
innovations,  even  with  respect  to  insignificant  rites,  ceremonies 
and  forms. 

No  such  influence  was  brought  to  bear  upon  the  German 
immigrant  to  America.  The  German  Jew  is  not  only  a  demo 
crat  by  nature,  but  more  than  that,  he  has  been  so  long  subjected 
to  oppression,  tyranny  and  contumely,  that  in  his  native  country 
he  is  apt  to  consider  himself  an  inferior  and  thus  fall  below  the 
level  of  true  manhood. 

The  history  of  the  Jews  in  Germany,  and  in  the  German  prin 
cipalities,  is  one  long  chapter  of  tyrannical  oppression,  resulting 
as  it  was  designed  to  result,  in  the  degradation  of  this  devoted 
people. 

In  the  early  part  of  this  century  when  the  money  and  the 


1 82  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

muscle  of  the  Jews  were  required  by  the  German  states  to  off 
set  and  overthrow  the  boundless  ambition  of  Napoleon  I,  extraor 
dinary  privileges  were  granted  to  the  Jews  in  order  to  secure 
their  patriotic  services  against  the  little  corporal,  but  as  soon  as 
the  Corsican  was  overthrown  and  France  humiliated  by  repeated 
disasters,  the  privileges  that  were  extended  to  the  Jews  were 
withdrawn  and  their  condition,  if  anything,  became  more  unen 
durable  than  before.  The  seeds  of  the  French  revolution  which 
had  inspired  Klopstock  to  write  his  matchless  songs  of  liberty, 
found  mellow  soil  in  Germany,  and  the  plant  that  began  its  pre 
carious  existence  during  the  blood-shed  of  the  first  years  of  the 
century,  had  arisen  to  proportions  that  were  deemed  disastrous 
to  monarchy  before  half  the  century  had  expired.  It  is  unneces 
sary  to  review  the  events  of  1848 ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  not  a  few 
among  the  revolutionists  were  Jews  and  that  a  considerable 
number  of  those  who  were  proscribed  by  the  government  at 
home,  fled  to  the  United  States  for  refuge. 

The  effect  of  suddenly  acquired  liberty  upon  one  who  has  been 
restricted,  and  as  it  were,  enslaved,  is  always  an  enthusiasm  that 
borders  upon  mental  intoxication.  As  the  schoolboy,  when  dis 
missed  from  his  studies  exhibits  his  exultation  in  shouts  and 
riotous  play,  so  the  oppressed  citizen  when  he  escapes  from  the 
restrictions  and  tyranny  to  which  he  has  been  subjected,  indulges 
in  exhibitions  of  delight,  that  in  a  larger  measure  are  like  unto 
the  ebulitions  of  the  liberated  schoolboy.  So  we  find,  that  the 
German  immigrant  of  1848,  released  as  he  was  by  his  exodus 
from  Europe,  from  the  confinements  and  the  fetters  of  a  monar- 
chial  government,  became  a  democrat  of  the  extremest  type. 
The  people  became  his  God,  and  anything  that  savored  of  gov 
ernmental  power,  was  obnoxious.  Extremes  beget  extremes :  the 
pendulum  that  is  swung  beyond  the  natural  limit  of  its  vibration 
on  one  side,  will  pass  beyond  that  limit  when  it  returns  to  the 
other.  A  later  and  more  unhappy  illustration  of  this  disposition 
of  human  nature,  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact,  that  the  Socialism, 
Nihilism  and  Anarchism  which  now  prevail  in  the  United  States 
of  America,  are  almost  entirely  supported  by  foreign  born  citizens 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  183 

who  escaped  to  this  country  because  they  could  not  endure  the 
oppression  of  Europe. 

It  must  be  remembered,  that  in  Germany,  as  in  France,  all 
churches  are  institutions  of  the  government,  the  synagogue  not 
excepted.  In  France  Napoleon  undertook  after  a  fashion  to 
revive  the  Sanhedrin,  and  in  Germany  for  many  years  there  has 
been  a  connection  betwen  the  government  and  the  synagogue  by 
which  the  Rabbis  were  stipendiaries  of  the  state  and  were  invested 
by  the  government  with  a  large  measure  of  ecclesiastical 
authority.  This  authority  thus  based  and  armed  with  the  power 
of  execution  operated  as  a  restriction  upon  liberty,  thought  and 
action  in  religious  matters  and  it  is  not  to  be  doubted  that  the 
authority  was  not  unfrequently  exercised  in  a  most  arbitrary 
manner. 

The  fact  that  such  great  reformers  arose  in  Germany  as 
Holdheim,  Frankel,  Geiger  and  others,  is  sufficient  evidence  to 
prove  that  there  were  abuses  in  the  Jewish  church  of  Germany. 
As  in  ancient  times,  there  was  a  disposition  to  make  form  of 
greater  importance  than  substance,  and  to  make  piety  consist  of 
the  slavish  adherence  to  rites,  ceremonies  and  customs,  which, 
whatever  may  have  been  their  utility  or  effectiveness  in  other 
days,  inspired  but  little  respect  in  the  nineteenth  century. 

It  is  not  uncommon  for  the  public  to  confound  the  tenets  of 
a  religion  with  the  forms  in  which  worship  is  conducted,  and 
when  forms,  rites  and  ceremonies  engender  disrespect  or  ridi 
cule,  the  essential  doctrines  of  the  religion  suffer  in  consequence. 

The  liberation  of  the  German  Jews  who  immigrated  to  the 
United  States  of  America  about  the  middle  of  this  century,  from 
all  kinds  of  governmental  interference  in  private,  social  and 
religious  matters  was  not  slow  in  its  effect  upon  the  Jewish 
religion.  Those  who  had  in  many  instances  against  their  better 
judgment  and  against  their  sentiment  been  compelled  to  practice 
forms  and  ceremonies  which  inspired  them  with  no  respect,  now 
found  an  opportunity  to  disregard  them  without  fear  of  any  evil 
consequences  personal  to  themselves.  The  result  of  this  new 
found  liberty  exhibited  itself  at  once  in  the  disuse  and  the  abroga 
tion  of  certain  practices  and  forms  by  no  means  essential  to  the 


184  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

preservation  of  the  religion,  and  which  were  perhaps  better  dis 
carded  than  retained.  Rabbis  who  had  been  educated  abroad  in 
the  old  school  finding  this  iconoclastic  spirit,  catered  to  it  rather 
than  undertook  to  restrain  it  and  as  each  Rabbi  who  instituted  a 
new  reform  was  hailed  as  a  great  leader  in  Israel,  a  species  of 
emulation  arose  among  the  Jewish  divines  as  to  which  of  them 
could  outstrip  the  rest  in  discarding  time-honored  form  and 
religious  practices.  The  conservatism  of  the  Sephardim  so  far 
from  restraining  this  tendency,  rather  stimulated  it  by  reason  of 
their  undisguised  contempt  for  the  Ashkenazim.  The  latter 
naturally  enough  disregarded  what  to  their  hated  co-religionists 
was  sacred. 

In  1835  a  very  slight  change  was  sought  to  be  introduced  in 
the  Jewish  ritual  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  but  at  that  time  the  radical 
element  which  afterwards  came  to  this  country  having  no  expo 
nents  here,  the  movement  failed  for  want  of  support.  Twenty- 
five  years  later  scarcely  a  synagogue  in  the  United  States  was 
as  conservatively  conducted  as  it  was  proposed  that  the  reform 
synagogue  of  Charleston  should  be.  The  ancient  prayer  books 
were  laid  aside  and  new  rituals  or  Minhags  were  introduced.  The 
men  and  women  worshipped  together,  the  organ  and  choir  were 
introduced,  the  prayers  were  read  in  the  vernacular  of  the  coun 
try,  and  in  many  other  ways  changes  and  innovations  were  inau 
gurated,  so  that  as  has  frequently  been  said,  if  an  ancient  Israelite 
should  enter  the  modern  temple,  he  would  not  recognize  the  serv 
ices  as  being  those  of  a  Jewish  church.  There  was  no  influence 
in  the  United  States  to  restrain  this  tendency  towards  radicalism. 
There  was  no  hierarchy  in  the  synagogue,  no  authority  vested 
in  any  Rabbi,  no  tribunal  to  which  an  appeal  could  be  made  in 
disputed  cases.  The  pruning  knife  which  was  first  applied  only 
to  forms  and  ceremonies  that  had  outlived  their  usefulness,  was 
applied  from  time  to  time  to  the  very  body  of  the  religion  itself, 
and  as  each  daring  innovator  excited  more  or  less  admiration, 
and  achieved  a  notoriety,  which  in  his  vanity  he  misconstrued  for 
fame,  a  stimulus  was  offered  for  new  excursions  in  this  tempting- 
field.  The  men  of  the  cloth  being  thus  so  swift  in  their  progress 
from  everything  that  was  ancient  and  traditional,  naturally 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  185 

enough  engendered  in  the  minds  of  the  laity,  the  reflection  that 
what  was  so  easily  altered,  modified  and  set  aside  by  human 
hands,  could  not  be  respected  as  of  divine  workmanship.  The 
traditions  which  had  been  looked  upon  by  them  in  their  youth  as 
sacred  and  beyond  the  pale  of  human  interference,  were  now 
analyzed  for  them  by  specious  pleaders  and  shown  to  be  but  idle 
nonsense.  This  was  undermining  the  church  itself,  for  as  soon 
as  the  laity  lost  their  respect  for  the  traditional  in  Judaism,  the 
whole  structure  ceased  to  inspire  them  with  that  affectionate  awe 
which  is  always  accorded  to  the  time-honored  and  ancient. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  trace  from  its  origin  to  its  present 
status,  the  so-called  reform  movement  of  America.  To  other 
and  abler  hands  this  task  must  be  left.  I  merely  desire  to  call 
attention  to  its  rapid  progress  and  to  its  extreme  tendency,  in 
order  that  I  may  show,  as  I  think  it  is  clear  that  to  this  reform 
movement  is  attributable  altogether  the  indifference  exhibited  by 
the  American  Jews  for  everything  that  pertains  to  their  lineage, 
their  history  and  their  destiny. 

Among  other  things  introduced  by  the  so-called  reform  Rabbis 
of  the  United  States,  was  the  doctrine  that  the  Jews  were  only 
such  by  reason  of  their  creed  and  that  their  creed  consisted  of 
pure  Monotheism  and  the  practice  of  righteousness.  The  race 
idea  was  discountenanced  as  being  obnoxious  to  the  genius  of  the 
government  under  which  we  enjoy  the  greatest  liberties  accorded 
to  us  since  we  ceased  to  be  a  nation. 

At  Pittsburg  in  1885,  a  conference  of  American  Rabbis  even 
went  so  far  I  believe  as  to  promulgate  in  what  was  called  "The 
Postulates  of  Reason"  that  the  Jews  were  no  longer  a  race,  but 
simply  a  religious  community. 

This  pronunciamento,  which  was  to  be  expected  as  the  result 
of  all  the  radicalism  that  preceded  it,  was  hoped  would  strike  a 
responsive  chord  in  the  breast  of  the  American  Jews.  I  may  have 
occasion  before  I  complete  this  effort  to  consider  the  correctness 
of  the  proposition  that  we  are  simply  a  religious  community  and 
not  a  race.  Nothing  to  my  mind  is  more  pregnant  with  error 
than  this  postulate  of  unreason.  However,  whether  it  be  correct 
or  not,  it  was  so  often  preached  from  the  pulpit  and  so  frequently 


1 86  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

found  a  lodgement  in  the  minds  of  the  laity,  that  doubts  of  the 
gravest  nature  have  arisen  in  the  minds  of  the  American  Jews  as 
to  the  perpetuity  of  the  Jews  as  a  people.  In  every  controversy 
there  is  to  be  found  a  large  element  wanting  in  any  fixity  of  prin 
ciples  and  in  any  elements  of  courage ;  people  who  wait  until  the 
progress  of  the  struggle  indicates  where  the  victory  will  lie  and 
then  join  the  strongest  forces.  This  unfortunate  weakness  of 
human  nature  is  well  understood  by  the  politician  and  hence  in 
every  political  battle  we  find  each  party  long  in  advance  of  the 
struggle  claiming  an  easy  victory.  The  doubt  having  arisen  in 
the  minds  of  many  American  Jews  as  to  the  perpetuity  of  the 
Jews  as  a  people,  and  the  conviction  having  been  forced  upon 
many  that  our  days  were  numbered,  and  that  we  would  be 
merged  in,  and  swallowed  up  by  the  mass  of  humanity  at  large, 
there  was  engendered,  not  only  an  indifference  as  to  this  result, 
but  many  positively  desired  to  hasten  its  accomplishment.  This 
is  not  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  Jews  that  such  doubts 
and  convictions  have  arisen,  and  history  affords  examples  of  con 
versions  of  large  numbers  of  Jews  to  other  religions,  sknply  in 
deference  to  what  was  conceived  to  be  the  unavoidable  and  inevi 
table  extinction  of  the  Jews.  A  few  years  since,  some  of  the 
most  thoughtful  minds  in  this  country  had  become  gravely 
impressed  with  the  idea  that  we  were  at  the  beginning  of  the 
end,  and  he  who  was  daring  enough  to  raise  his  voice  against  the 
tendency  of  the  hour,  was  derided  as  striving  to  accomplish  the 
impossible. 

This  conviction  was  not  confined  to  those  who  desired  the 
result  which  it  portended,  for  many  accepted  it  gloomily  enough 
as  a  truth  which  they  claimed  was  irresistible.  The  writer  never 
shared  this  view,  but  has  constantly  been  one  of  those  who  under 
took  to  breast  the  torrent  and  to  stay  the  hand  of  the  destroyer. 
The  work  which  he  now  projects  is  in  that  direction.  When  it 
was  begun,  the  whole  sky  was  dark  with  clouds  and  scarcely  a 
ray  of  hope  was  to  be  discovered,  but  in  the  short  space  of  time 
which  has  intervened  between  the  inception  and  the  completion 
of  this  effort,  large  rifts  have  been  made  and  the  sunshine  of  a 
future  of  promise  for  the  Jews  breaks  over  the  landscape. 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  187 

The  radicalism  which  culminated  at  Pittsburg  in  1885, 
aroused  a  storm  of  indignation  throughout  the  land  which  caused 
its  collapse  at  Cincinnati  in  the  summer  of  1886.  The  Pittsburg 
conference  which  adjourned  to  meet  at  Cincinnati  failed  to  con 
vene.  The  new  generation  of  American  Jews  free  from  the  intoxi 
cation  resulting  from  sudden  emancipation,  and  whose  minds 
have  developed  in  an  atmosphere  of  liberty,  look  at  the  questions 
involved  from  a  different  locus  standi  from  that  adopted  by  the 
Jews  of  a  former  generation.  The  American  born  Jew  has  had 
the  benefit  of  an  American  education.  As  has  been  said,  he  was 
born  and  has  grown  up  in  an  atmosphere  of  liberty ;  he  knows  no 
other  condition.  He  is  not  impelled  to  license  as  the  anti-climax 
of  enslavement ;  he  becomes  not  riotous,  in  need  or  thought  by 
reason  of  any  enfranchisement,  for  he  has  never  been  disfran 
chised.  Like  most  native  born  Americans,  while  ready  to  die  for 
republican  institutions,  he  recognizes  that  republicanism  does 
not  mean  Anarchy  and  that  the  surrender  of  certain  elements  of 
individual  liberty  is  a  pre-requisite  to  the  preservation  and  main 
tenance  of  liberty.  And  so  in  religious  matters,  when  he  has 
come  to  contemplate  the  vast  changes  that  have  been  made  by 
irresponsible  persons  in  so  short  a  time  and  in  deference  to  so 
sordid  a  spirit,  his  mind  recoils  and  he  refuses  tu  recognize  the 
right  of  any  man  to  rudely  lay  his  hands  upon  the  traditions  of 
his  fathers.  By  his  achievements  in  every  sphere  of  life  he  has 
conquered  the  prejudice  against  his  people  and  has  claimed  as  his 
right,  the  respect  of  his  fellow  men.  The  triumphs  of  the  Jews 
in  the  arts,  literature,  science  and  in  finances  has  cast  around  the 
name  of  "Jew"  a  nal°  of  which  he  is  intensely  proud.  He  is  im 
pelled  to  study  the  history  of  his  people,  to  learn  of  their  mar 
tyrdom,  their  endurance  and  their  triumphs,  and  since  the  his 
tory  of  the  Jews  is  inextricably  interwoven  with  the  religion  of 
the  Jews  he  has  been  compelled  in  studying  their  history  to  learn 
their  religion.  And  he  has  learned  that  what  is  divinely  ordained 
or  derived  from  traditions  that  extends  to  a  period  whereof  the 
memory  of  man  runneth  not  to  the  contrary,  may  not  be  rudely 
cast  aside,  or  brushed  away  by  men,  the  fountain  of  whose  au 
thority  extends  not  higher  than  themselves.  For  these  so-called 


l88  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

reformers  who  halt  not  for  sentiment  nor  reason  he  has  no  re 
spect,  but  rather  says  with  Cassius, 

"I  had  as  lief  not  be,  as  live  to  be 
In  awe  of  such  a  thing  as  I  myself." 

The  effort  to  decry  the  race  character  of  the  Jew,  which  of  all 
others  is  the  most  absurd,  finds  no  sympathy  in  the  American 
Jew.  I  make  these  assertions  now  with  no  fear  of  a  successful 
contradiction,  for  the  developments  of  the  past  year  furnish  in 
controvertible  evidence  of  their  truth.  But  while  the  educated 
and  reflecting  Jew  is  indisposed  to  be  led  by  the  revolutionists, 
few  have  any  definite  notions  of  what  is  the  duty  of  the  hour  and 
the  great  mass  of  the  people  by  reason  of  the  indifference  which 
has  been  planted,  as  has  already  been  shown,  in  their  natures  have 
failed  to  give  the  subject  any  consideration  whatsoever.  There 
fore  the  author  believes  that  he  performs  a  simple  duty  to  pre 
sent  his  reflections  upon  the  status,  the  duties  and  the  destiny  of 
the  Jews  in  this  country,  not  in  the  hope  that  his  views  will  prove 
acceptable  to  all  those  who  Tead,  but  rather  in  the  fond  expecta 
tion  that  those  who  read  will  be  induced  to  reflect  and  to  discuss 
the  views  that  shall  occur  to  them  by  reason  of  the  stimulus  I 
shall  offer,  and  thus  there  may  be  evolved  from  a  multitude  of 
counsel  that  wisdom  which  the  emergency  requires. 

It  is  my  purpose  in  the  course  of  this  essay  to  show  that  it  is 
the  duty  and  the  policy  of  the  Jews  to  preserve  their  solidarity, 
and  that  in  order  to  secure  such  a  result  it  is  essential  that  the 
highest  respect  should  be  paid  to  the  history  and  traditions  of  our 
people,  to  the  preservation  of  our  customs  within  certain  limita 
tions,  and  the  practice  of  our  religion  with  due  deference  to  those 
ancient  forms  that  were  practice<d  by  our  ancestors  in  times  of 
gravest  adversity  and  peril;  and  this  leads  me  first  to  inquire, 
should  the  Jews  perpetuate  their  race,  or  suffer  themselves  to  be 
merged  into  and  assimilated  by  the  different  peoples  of  the  earth  ? 


CHAPTER  I 

Wherein  is  Considered  the  Right  and  Duty  of  the  Jews  to  Per 
petuate  Their  Existence  as  a  Distinct  People. 

In  considering  the  duty  and  policy  of  the  Jews  in  respect  of 
the  preservation  of  their  integrity  as  a  people,  it  becomes  neces 
sary  at  the  threshold  to  inquire  into  our  right  to  remain  an  ex 
clusive  people. 

This  involves  the  wide  subject  of  whether  there  should  be  any 
distinct  peoples,  and  if  so,  whether  the  distinction  may  be  prop 
erly  made  save  upon  national  and  territorial  lines.  It  is  con 
tended,  that  as  the  Jews  are  only  such  because  of  a  community 
of  creed,  that  they  may  not  persevere  in  their  exclusiveness  with 
out  violence  to  the  proper  sensibilities  of  their  neighbors.  Voltaire 
made  this  one  of  the  chief  bases  of  his  strictures  on  the  Jews 
and  even  to  this  day  we  hear  complaints  made  of  the  clannishness 
of  this  remarkable  people.  If  it  were  true  that  the  Jews  are  such, 
simply  because  of  a  community  of  creed,  it  would  be  proper  to 
inquire  into  the  right  of  any  religious  community  to  segregate  it 
self  and  in  a  measure  abstain  from  intercourse  with  the  world 
at  large,  but  it  seems  to  me  to  be  an  idle  discussion  as  to  the 
propriety  of  certain  facts  which  do  not  exist. 

It  is  not  true  in  the  first  place  that  the  Jews  are  abnormally 
clannish ;  it  is  not  true  in  the  second  place  that  the  Jews  are  only 
Jews  because  of  their  religion.  This  idea  has  become  prevalent 
because  the  Jews  have  no  territorial  and  no  temporal  government 
and  hence  are  not  accorded  the  dignity  of  a  race.  History  con 
tains  no  record,  so  far  as  I  am  advised,  of  any  distinct  people  pre 
serving  their  manners,  customs,  traditions  and  laws,  and  what  is 
more  remarkable,  the  purity  of  their  blood,  without  the  cohesive 
power  of  a  country,  and  a  temporal  government,  except  it  be  the 
Jews.  The  gypsies  can  certainly  not  be  accorded  so  high  a  dis 
tinction,  and  aside  from  them  I  know  of  none  other  that  approxi- 

189 


I9O  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

mates  such  an  instance.  At  another  place  I  shall  discuss  this  re 
markable  characteristic  of  the  Jewish  people.  For  the  present  I 
must  assume  that  the  Jews  are  not  simply  an  indiscriminate  lot  of 
people  who  hold  to  a  common  belief.  A  native  Esquimaux,  or 
American  Indian  might  conscientiously  adopt  every  tenet  of  the 
Jewish  church,  might  practice  every  form  and  ceremony  imposed 
by  the  Jewish  laws  and  the  Jewish  ritual,  and  so  far  as  the  re 
ligion  is  concerned,  be  a  Jew,  but  yet,  no  one  who  will  reflect  for 
a  moment  would  class  them  with  the  Jews  as  a  people.  If  the 
truth  were  known,  a  very  large  percentage  of  so-called  Christians 
would  be  found  to  be  believers  in  the  essentials  of  the  Jewish  re-, 
Idgion,  and  yet,  they  are  not  Jews.  It  requires  not  only  that  men 
should  believe  in  Judaism,  but  that  they  should  be  the  descendants 
in  direct  line  of  that  people  who  enjoyed  a  temporal  government 
and  who  owned  a  country  up  to  the  time  of  the  destruction  of 
the  second  commonwealth.  That  great  event  took  away  from  the 
Jews  their  country  and  their  temporal  government;  it  scattered 
them  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  but  it  did  not  destroy  the  nation 
al  and  race  idea  which  was  a  part  of  their  nature  and  of  their 
religion,  and  though  nearly  two  thousand  years  have  elapsed  since 
that  memorable  occasion,  we  find  that  there  are  more  Jews  today 
than  there  were  then,  richer  in  the  enjoyment  of  liberty,  greater 
in  the  exercise  of  power,  further  advanced  in  culture  and  with  a 
strain  of  blood  preserved  by  steady,  direct  and  undefiled  flow 
from  the  original  source. 

Who  shall  say  then,  that  the  Jews  are  no  longer  a  race  ?  The 
world  numbers  seven  million  of  them  among  its  population. 
When  Moses  led  the  Jews  from  Egypt  to  Palestine,  it  is  estimated 
that  there  were  three  million  of  the  children  of  Israel  in  his  train. 
The  seven  million  who  now  exist  are  the  direct  descendants  of 
that  chosen  people.  Certainly  it  will  not  be  contended  that  a 
strip  of  territory  over  which  a  lot  of  men  exercise  dominion,  nor 
that  a  form  of  government  which  men  may  exercise,  constitute 
a  race.  Blood  is  the  basis  and  sub-stratum  of  the  race  idea  and 
no  people  on  the  face  of  the  globe  can  lay  claim  with  so  much 
right  to  purity  of  blood,  and  unity  of  blood,  as  the  Jews.  Be  it 
remembered,  that  I  do  not  claim  nationality  for  the  Jews  as  such, 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  191 

for  they  have  had  no  such  claim  since  Jerusalem  was  captured  by 
the  Romans,  but  nationality  and  the  race  quality  are  two  separate 
and  distinct  things.  It  is  well  known  that  when  The  Netherlands 
were  hard  pressed  by  their  enemies  on  one  occasion,  the  grand 
idea  was  conceived  of  utilizing  the  vast  amount  of  shipping  in 
the  Dutch  ports  for  an  exodus  of  the  Hollanders  and  after  their 
departure  to  cut  the  dikes  and  flood  the  country  so  that  it  might 
not  become  a  prey  to  the  national  foe.  Had  this  idea  been  carried 
into  effect  and  the  brave  Netherlands  had  forsaken  their  country 
and  gone  abroad  to  populate  as  they  designed,  some  distant  land, 
would  it  be  contended  that  they  had  lost  their  race  character  by 
reason  of  their  exodus?  It  seems  to  me  that  such  a  conclusion 
would  be  most  lame  and  impotent.  If  I  have  reasoned  to  any 
purpose,  the  inquiry  of  right  in  the  premises  is  not  to  be  limited 
to  the  Jews  as  the  exponents  of  a  particular  creed,  but  to  the 
Jews  as  a  race.  I  recognize  the  anomaly  presented  by  the  fact 
that  this  race,  as  I  claim  them  to  be,  is  scattered  over  the  face  of 
the  globe,  divided  up  into  many  sections,  and  the  different  sec 
tions  owing  allegiance  to  different  governments,  but  what  is 
there  about  the  Jew  that  is  not  anomalous?  In  everything  that 
pertains  to  him  he  is  sui  generis.  There  is  nothing  incompatible 
between  the  preservation  on  his  part  of  the  race  idea,  and  the  ut 
most  fealty  to  the  government  under  which  he  lives.  I  need  not 
discuss  this,  for  there  can  be  no  conflict  of  allegiance  to  a  mere 
idea,  and  a  government.  In  his  relation  to  his  government,  the 
American  Jew  is  an  American  citizen.  He  observes  the  laws  of 
his  country,  he  contributes  to  the  support  of  his  country,  he  is 
ready  to  fight  her  battles  abroad  and  to  spend  his  last  drop  of 
blood  and  treasure  in  defence  of  her  shores  against  any  and  every 
invader,  and  if  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  be  composed  of  his  co 
religionists,  yet  will  he  regard  them  as  his  enemies,  for  neither 
his  religion  nor  his  race  idea  is  ever  suffered  to  interfere  with  his 
patriotism,  nor  his  allegiance  to  the  powers  that  be.  (My  son  fear 
the  Lord  and  the  King  Prov.  24-21). 

The  inquiry  therefore  broadens  into  the  question,  should 
there  be  any  classes  among  men — any  distinctions  because  of 
race,  nationality,  complexion,  customs,  habits,  etc.? 


1 92  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

There  are  theorists  who  would  erase  from  the  map  of  exist 
ence  every  line  that  separates  men  from  their  fellow-men,  classes 
from  other  classes,  nations  from  other  nations,  and  even  con 
tinents  from  continents ;  and  their  efforts  are  lauded  as  the  high 
est  and  most  enlightened  philosophy  by  the  same  class  of  critics 
who  extol  a  leaden-colored  canvas  as  the  perfect  representation 
of  the  skies.  There  is  much  plausibility  in  the  proposition  that, 
as  all  men  are  men,  endowed  with  the  same  physical  and  mental 
attributes,  constituting  a  distinct  class  of  animals,  subject  to  be 
swayed  by  the  same  affections,  manifesting  like  sentiments  and 
sensations,  they  should  be  brothers  in  the  most  exalted  meaning 
of  the  word.  It  is  claimed,  in  the  words  of  the  great  "apostle 
of  freedom,"  that  "all  men  are  created  free  and  equal;"  that 
all  men  have  equal  rights ;  and  that  there  is  something  essentially 
and  inherently  false  in  any  social  or  governmental  system  which 
makes  distinctions  among  classes  of  men  or  among  individuals. 
The  vice  of  the  argument  lies  in  this :  The  enthusiast  confounds 
a  law  of  classification  with  a  law  of  existence.  What  science 
has  discovered  for  convenience  of  definition,  has  been  accepted 
as  the  key-note  in  the  scale  of  human  duty.  To  explain  further: 
A  definition  may  be  defined  as  that  process  by  which  any  entity 
is  assigned  to  its  proximate  genus  and  at  the  same  time  dis 
tinguished  from  other  members  of  the  same  class,  by  its  specific 
difference.  Thus  negro  is  defined  as  a  "man"  (his  proximate 
genus)  "with  black  skin,  flat  nose  and  woolly  hair"  (his  specific 
differences  from  other  members  of  the  human  family). 

A  moment's  reflection  will  convince  my  readers  that  the 
process  of  definition  is  necessary  to  intercourse  between  man 
and  man,  and  that  the  process  was  contemporaneous  with  the 
inception  of  the  means  of  intercourse.  In  primitive  times  when 
travel  was  difficult  and  infrequent,  the  different  classes  of  men 
were  strangers  to  each  other.  The  sons  of  Ham  knew  only 
their  dusky  companions,  and  to  their  minds  the  idea  of  man 
had  no  wider  range  than  their  own  particular  type.  So,  too, 
with  the  sons  of  Shem  and  Japhet.  In  the  course  of  ages  a 
great  number  of  different  types  were  developed  in  each  of  the 
great  branches,  and  each  type  considered  itself  the  family  of 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  193 

man.  But  time  and  travel  acquainted  men  with  other  men. 
Herodotus  discovered  many  species  of  men,  and  while  he  dis 
tinguished  them  from  the  Greeks  by  many  specific  differences, 
yet  there  were  enough  characteristics  in  common  between  them 
all  and  the  Greeks  to  assign  them  all  to  their  proximate  genus 
"man."  This  synthetic  process  by  which  the  Caucasian,  the 
Malay,  the  African,  etc.,  are  classed  under  a  common  designation 
has  given  rise  to  the  fallacy  that  all  men  are  men — and  hence 
equal.  It  is  perhaps  true  that  all  "men  were  created  free  and 
equal,"  but  in  all  respects  save  their  political  rights  their  equality 
relates  entirely  to  the  particular  moment  of  their  creation.  So 
cially,  morally  and  physically  every  man  is  different  in  degree 
of  merit  from  every  other  man.  Only  before  the  law  are  all  men 
equal.  But  equality  before  the  law  does  not  comprehend  equality 
upon  any  other  plane.  The  two  propositions  are  entirely  distinct. 
If  it  be  true  that  because  we  are  all  members  of  the  human  family 
we  are  equal  and  should  fraternize,  it  is  equally  true  that 
all  men  and  all  cats  are  animals,  and  hence  are  equal 
and  should  fraternize.  We  have  the  quality  of  exist 
ence  in  common  with  all  entities — are  we  for  this  reason 
to  be  considered  as  violating  a  law  of  nature  or  a  canon  of  duty, 
when  we  use  an  inanimate  object  for  our  own  purposes  without 
regard  to  its  preservation  or  perpetuity?  I  appreciate  the  fact 
that  by  reversing  this  argument  we  may  be  led  to  the  logical 
conclusion  that  any  two  objects,  things  or  persons  having  specific 
differences  are  foreign  to  each  other  and  should  not  fraternize. 
The  answer  to  this  is  the  solution  of  the  whole  problem.  Nature 
has  implanted  in  every  animate  creature  a  selfish  spirit  whose 
existence  is  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  their  natures. 
Selfishness  is  not  only  necessary  for  the  existence  of  animate 
creatures,  but  it  is  the  power  under  Heaven  that  works  out  the 
fate  of  the  world.  It  is  the  keynote  of  all  harmony,  and  is  the 
basis  of  the  highest  virtues.  The  love  of  self  brings  order  out 
of  chaos,  civilization  out  of  barbarism,  government  out  of 
anarchy,  and  compels  the  practice  of  the  social  virtues  which 
otherwise  would  give  way  to  social  corruption.  I  do  not  employ 
the  term  selfishness  to  define  that  sordid  and  disgusting  quality 


194  LEO   N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

which  the  word  vulgarly  implies,  but  I  use  it  in  that  compre 
hensive  sense  which  embraces  the  love  and  advancement  of  self. 
It  is  the  love  of  self  which  precludes  all  men  from  being  brothers 
in  the  sense  which  enthusiasts  would  have  us  regard  all  men; 
it  is  the  love  of  self  which  precludes  each  man  from  remaining 
to  and  for  himself  separate  from  his  kind.  Man  is  a  social  and 
a  progenitive  animal.  As  a  social  animal  he  seeks  society ;  as  a 
progenitive  animal  he  procreates.  His  self-love  extends  naturally 
to  what  is  nearest  and  dearest  to  him.  Self-love  makes  him 
jealous  of  the  society  and  exclusive  possession  of  his  wife;  self- 
love  makes  him  protect  and  care  for  his  offspring  and  enforce 
obedience  from  them.  Thus  the  family  relation,  the  highest 
of  earthly  ties,  grows  out  of  self-love.  Shall  we  deny  the  right 
of  any  man  to  love  his  wife,  the  mother  of  his  children,  better 
than  he  does  a  strange  woman  utterly  unknown  to  him  ?  Selfish 
ness  makes  every  man  care  for  the  members  of  his  own  com 
munity  or  society,  for  every  community  or  society  is  formed  for 
the  benefit  of  its  members,  and  each  member  must  care  for  and 
protect  all  of  the  others  in  order  that  he  may  derive  the  benefits 
of  the  community  or  society.  The  process  of  thought  is  lost  sight 
of  in  the  daily  occurrences  of  life,  but  an  analysis  of  the  ordinary 
affairs  of  the  world  will  convince  the  most  superficial  thinker 
that  not  only  is  the  world  operated  according  to  the  law  of  self 
ishness,  but  that  without  that  law  we  would  drift  into  chaos. 
It  follows  very  clearly  that  by  a  natural  law,  the  further  is  re 
moved  any  person,  object  or  thing  from  the  existence  of  any 
man,  the  less  will  be  his  love  for  that  person,  object  or  thing. 
I  do  not  mean  physical  propinquity  of  course,  but  I  refer  to  the 
influence  of  relationship  whether  of  blood,  community  of  tastes, 
occupation,  creeds,  joys  or  dangers.  The  ratio,  of  course,  is  co 
equal  with  that  of  relationship. 

It  has  been  remarked  that  all  entities  have  the  quality  of 
existence  in  common,  but  the  relation  is  so  slight  that  the  love 
it  elicits  is  very  faint.  If  I  may  use  a  figure  of  speech  I  should 
compare  love  to  the  circle  made  on  the  surface  of  the  sea  by 
dropping  a  pebble  in  the  water.  At  first  it  is  distinct  and  well 
defined,  but  as  it  widens  it  grows  fainter  and  fainter,  until  al- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  195 

though  certainly  still  existent  it  is  imperceptible.  Every  man 
bears  some  relation  to  all  existence,  and  by  reason  and  in  the 
ratio  of  that  relationship  bears  love  thereto.  But  existence  is 
composed  of  species  beyond  number.  Comprehended  in  the  im 
measurable  and  infinite  circle  of  existence  are  an  infinite  number 
of  smaller  circles,  none  of  equal  size,  none  concentric  with 
another,  none  covering  the  same  space,  yet  all  related  by  the 
common  circle  which  embraces  all,  which  is  contiguous  im 
mediately  to  the  great  circles  representing  the  first  classification 
of  existences,  and  which  great  circles  are  contiguous  to  each 
other,  and  contain  again  within  themselves  the  species  which 
make  up  their  hierarchy  of  existence.  The  tiniest  snowdrop 
on  Himalayas'  loftiest  height  bears  some  relationship  to  the 
fieriest  spark  in  the  sun.  The  law  of  human  nature  which  com 
pels  man's  love  to  extend  outward  in  all  directions  as  the  circle 
widens  from  the  spot  where  the  pebble  gave  it  existence,  does 
not  impose  upon  him  the  duty  of  loving  all  things  or  all  persons 
alike.  Without  difference  in  degrees  of  love  according  to  re 
lationship,  we  should  be  deprived  of  the  holiest  and  most  exalting 
ties  and  obligations  and  the  sanctity  of  the  home  circle,  the 
institution  of  marriage,  the  parental,  filial  and  fraternal  love 
would  be  swallowed  up  into  that  universal  and  uniform  love, 
which  would,  after  all,  be  but  indifference. 

If  I  have  argued  to  any  purpose  it  must  be  dear  that  if  all 
men  are  brothers  it  is  because  they  are  men,  not  because  they 
are  governed  by  a  common  fraternal  feeling — Sum  homo  nihil 
humani  a  me  alienum  puto  is  a  sentiment  which  with  great 
propriety  might  be  extended.  In  a  different  degree  but  of  like 
nature  is  the  truth,  "I  am  an  animal  and  I  esteem  nothing  ani 
mate  as  foreign  to  me."  If  I  am  asked  at  what  point  fraternity 
should  cease,  I  can  only  say  that  the  limitt  are  regulated  by 
circumstances.  Wherever  may  be  found  a  community  of  senti 
ment,  blood,  circumstances,  occupations,  tastes,  creeds,  joys,  sor 
rows  or  dangers  there  will  be  found  fraternal  ties  limited  by 
the  particular  community  which  engendered  them.  This  is  the 
brotherhood  of  classes,  and  it  is  this  fraternity  which  is  derided 
and  discouraged  by  the  visionaries  who  exclaim  that  all  men  are 


196  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

brothers,  and  there  should  be  no  castes,  cliques,  clans,  nations 
or  peoples.  An  universal  brotherhood  would  no  doubt  follow 
the  attainment  of  universal  virtue  and  the  perfection  of  the 
human  family.  When  the  standard  of  human  perfection  is 
discovered  and  all  men  attain  that  standard,  then,  and  not  till 
then  will  all  men  be  brothers ;  but  as  long  as  men  entertain  differ 
ences  of  opinions  so  long  will  there  be  classes.  If  the  formation 
of  new  classes  could  be  discontinued,  the  classes  now  existing 
might  be  merged  into  one  (although  I  doubt  even  this)  ;  but 
new  classes  must  necessarily  spring  up.  They  may  not  come  into 
existence  by  any  name,  they  rarely  do,  but  circumstances  form 
them  with  unceasing  regularity. 

It  is  in  entire  conformity  with  the  laws  of  nature  for  men  to 
unite  in  the  pursuit  of  any  legitimate  object.  Artists  form  so 
cieties  among  themselves  in  which  the  "tie  that  binds"  is  the 
love  and  practice  of  art.  In  such  a  society  creed  or  nationality 
go  for  naught,  the  open  sesame  and  the  ritual  being  art.  To 
the  soldier  every  soldier  is  a  brother.  Every  profession  has  its 
freemasonry.  Every  devotee  is  a  brother  to  the  followers  of 
his  own  faith.  The  subjects  of  every  government  are  united  by 
their  common  nationality. 

Such  circumscriptions  operate  nothing  against  the  usefulness 
of  those  thus  circumscribed.  We  have  all  our  parts  to  play,  and 
in  playing  them  we  can  neither  enter  every  circle  nor  confine 
ourselves  to  one.  There  are  certain  duties  which  we  owe  to  our 
fellow-men  in  return  for  the  benefits  we  derive  from  the  social 
state,  and  they  must  be  performed. 

To  do  less  is  to  violate  the  law  of  our  obligations  to  society, 
which  is  the  companion  of  the  law  of  self-love  in  the  govern 
ment  of  the  world. 

Society  is  composed  of  elements  owing  to  one  another  cor 
relative  obligations,  the  prompt  discharge  of  which  is  a  pre 
requisite  to  the  orderly  regulation  and  progress  of  the  whole. 
Herbert  Spencer  compares  society  to  an  organic  structure  having 
parts  and  functions  analogous  to  those  of  animate  creatures 
in  his  comparison,  "Government  is  represented  by  the  regulative 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  IQ7 

functions  of  a  living  organism,  and  forms  of  government  so 
many  varieties  of  the  structure." 

Professor  Edmund  Robertson,  commenting  in  the  Brittanica 
upon  the  views  of  Herbert  Spencer,  announces  the  familiar  truth, 
that  where  men  are  united  in  groups  there  arises  from  their 
union  the  necessity  of  action  in  behalf  of  the  group.  "It  is,  of 
course,  always  a  matter  of  difficulty  to  determine  the  exact 
nature  and  degree  of  obligation  which  individuals  owe  to  society, 
for  the  reason  principally,  that  the  origin  of  society  is  lost  in 
the  obscurity  of  unexplored  antiquity.  If  there  ever  was  a  time 
when  society  did  not  exist  among  the  members  of  the  human 
family  in  some  form  or  other,  history  is  silent  as  to  that  era." 

Various  theories  have  been  advanced  in  explanation  of  the 
genesis  of  society,  all  of  them  being  plausible,  and  none  entirely 
satisfactory. 

Professor  Robertson  in  his  article  on  government  in  the 
Brittanica,  briefly,  but  clearly,  considers  the  various  theories 
that  have  been  advanced,  but  he  is  unable  to  arrive  at  any  con 
clusion  with  reference  to  the  subject,  except  the  bare  suggestion, 
that  government  had  its  origin  in  the  family  relation.  Locke,  in 
his  essay  on  civil  government,  asserts,  that  men  being  by  nature 
all  free,  equal  and  independent,  no  one  can  be  put  out  of  this 
estate  and  subjected  to  the  political  power  of  another,  without 
his  own  consent.  The  only  way  whereby  any  one  divests  himself 
of  his  natural  liberty  and  puts  on  the  bonds  of  civil  society,  is 
by  agreeing  with  other  men  to  join  and  unite  into  a  community. 
Mr.  John  Stuart  Mill  in  his  essay  on  liberty  and  in  his  political 
economy  declares  in  favor  of  the  largest  scope  of  individual 
liberty  as  being  inherent  and  favors  the  doctrine  of  Humboldt, 
to-wit:  "The  absolute  and  essential  importance  of  human  de 
velopment  in  its  richest  diversity." 

Herbert  Spencer  also  maintains  the  natural  and  inherent 
liberty  of  individuals  without  restriction  and  that  government  and 
society  are  founded  upon  the  voluntary  surrender  by  individuals 
of  a  portion  of  the  liberties  which  are  a  part  and  parcel  of  their 
nature  and  birthright. 

According  to  such  eminent  authority,  and  plainly  in  accord- 


198  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

ance  with  reason,  it  would  seem  then  that  all  men  are  born 
with  the  right  to  do  as  they  please,  and  that  this  liberty  of  action 
is  only  curtailed  by  the  requirements  of  society  and  government, 
which  themselves  are  the  creatures  of  the  individuals.  Society 
and  government  both  were  created  and  are  maintained  by  the 
operation  of  that  law  of  self-love  on  the  part  of  individuals,  of 
which  I  have  already  spoken.  In  the  absence  of  civil  society, 
and  of  government,  the  individual  must  look  solely  to  himself 
for  the  protection  of  his  own  welfare,  his  life,  his  liberty  and 
his  property.  This  constant  vigilance,  and  perhaps  this  constant 
state  of  war,  as  Hobbes  would  have  us  believe,  was  the  case 
with  primitive  man,  was  naturally  distasteful,  and  to  accomplish 
its  abrogation,  the  "social  compact"  was  formed,  either  by  ex 
press  agreement,  or  what  is  more  probable,  by  the  natural  growth 
of  implied  obligations.  The  stronger  were  compelled  to  sur 
render  their  advantages  by  combinations  among  the  weak,  and 
thus  the  basis  was  laid  for  measuring  in  a  manner,  the  extent 
of  the  surrender  by  each  individual  of  a  portion  of  his  inherent 
liberty.  The  first  law  of  society,  as  of  nature,  was  order.  The 
preservation  of  the  peace  and  the  pursuit  of  the  ordinary  avoca 
tions  of  life  without  the  constant  menace  of  interference  from 
without,  must  have  been  the  primary  aims  of  those  who  leagued 
together  in  the  construction  of  some  kind  of  social  organization. 
With  the  progress  of  time  the  scope  of  society's  duties  widened, 
the  governmental  sphere  was  extended  and  the  advantages  of 
fered  by  them  to  the  individual  gradually  multiplied.  There  arose 
accordingly  a  correlative  increase  of  obligations  on  the  part  of 
the  individual  to  society  and  to  government.  The  discharge  of 
these  obligations  by  the  individual  to  his  fellow-men,  to  society 
and  to  government,  are  in  strict  conformity  with  the  law  of 
self-love  which  primarily  regulates  his  course  of  life,  for  he 
recognizes  at  a  glance  that  any  failure  on  his  part  begets  failures 
on  the  part  of  others  and  anarchy  will  speedily  follow.  The 
citizen  who  maintains  the  law,  is  as  often  actuated  by  selfish 
considerations  as  by  patriotism  and  an  exalted  sense  of  duty. 
Whatever  may  be  the  motive,  however,  for  the  discharge  of 
these  duties,  it  is  patent  enough  that  they  must  be  discharged, 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA. 

and  since  our  duty  to  society  and  to  government  is  next  in  point 
of  importance  to  the  duty  which  we  owe  our  Creator,  obligations 
that  we  may  assume  of  less  solemnity  must  perforce  yield  if 
they  come  in  conflict  with  our  duty  to  society,  or  our  govern 
ment. 

If  I  have  made  myself  clear,  it  easily  follows  that  there  is 
no  danger  to  society,  nor  to  the  government  under  which  we 
live,  in  the  maintenance  of  certain  species  'of  class  distinctions. 
The  right  to  unite  and  to  organize  for  any  purpose  is  inherent, 
for  it  is  a  part  of  individual  liberty,  and  it  is  only  limited  by 
our  obligation  to  our  Creator,  our  government  and  to  our  fellow- 
men. 

It  follows  that  the  formation  or  maintenance  of  any  circle 
that  operates  against  the  good  of  society,  present  or  prospective, 
or  interferes  with  the  performance  of  individual  duty  to  society 
or  God,  should  be  discouraged;  that  any  circle  which  does  not 
operate  thus  prejudicially,  but  which  in  anywise  contributes  to 
the  enjoyment,  elevation  or  advantage  of  its  members,  should 
be  encouraged.  If  it  be  remembered  that  perfect  virtue  in  the 
whole  human  family  would  bring  about  universal  brotherhood, 
every  circle  which  promotes  a  virtue  will  be  recognized  as  a 
means  to  the  great  end,  even  though  it  have  the  appearance  of 
a  step  in  the  wrong  direction.  Heat  is  a  great  curative  agency 
in  treating  burns. 

Nature  is  full  of  arguments  in  support  of  the  propositions 
that  I  have  advanced,  for,  within  the  almost  incomprehensible 
unity  of  nature  is  comprised  innumerable  classes.  Science  has 
undertaken  as  great  a  task  in  analyzing  genera  into  their  various 
species  by  analysis,  as  it  has  in  resolving  species  into  genera  by 
synthesis.  If  the  visionary  contends  that  it  is  foreign  tp  the  law 
of  nature  that  men  should  divide  themselves  into  classes,  it 
need  only  be  suggested  that  nature  herself  presents  us  with 
ineffaceable  class  distinctions.  The  Mongolian  and  the  Cauca 
sian  are  both  men,  but  nature,  or  rather  their  creator,  has  en 
dowed  each  with  qualities,  and  invested  each  with  peculiarities 
that  mark  them  as  distinct  types  of  the  human  family  and  so 
through  the  whole  range  of  the  animal,  the  vegetable  and  the 
mineral  kingdoms  we  find  entities  tkat  have  a  sufficient  number 


2OO  LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

of  common  qualities  to  be  classed  under  a  given  genus,  and 
yet  possessing  sufficient  specific  differences  to  be  placed  under 
different  classifications.  Not  only  so,  but  nature  places  her 
seal  of  condemnation  upon  any  undue  intermixture  of  incon 
gruous  elements.  The  hybrid  and  the  mongrel  are  proverbially 
inferior,  and  of  them  it  has  been  said  that  they  partake  of  the 
worst  qualities  of  both  parents,  and  the  good  qualities  of  neither. 
If  the  general  doctrine  which  I  have  assailed  were  true,  then 
miscegenation  between  the  African  and  Caucasian  would  be  a 
virtue,  rather  than  a  violation  of  a  natural  law. 

I  have  already  shown  that  the  distinctive  character  of  the 
Jew  does  not  arise  solely  from  his  religion.  It  is  true  that  his 
race  and  religion  are  indissolubly  connected,  a  fact  which  arises 
in  the  main  from  the  theocratic  form  of  government  un4er 
which  the  Jews  existed  as  a  nation,  but  whatever  be  the  cause 
of  this  junction  of  the  race  idea  with  the  religion,  it  is  very  cer 
tain  that  the  religion  alone  does  not  constitute  the  people.  As 
I  have  already  maintained,  a  believer  in  the  Jewish  faith  does 
not  by  reason  of  that  fact  become  a  Jew.  On  the  other  hand, 
however,  a  Jew  by  birth  remains  a  Jew,  even  though  he  abjures 
his  religion.  Disraeli  recognized  this,  and  though  he  professed 
to  be  a  sincere  Christian,  always  claimed  to  be  a  Jew. 

Assuming  then  that  I  have  established  that  there  is  no  in 
herent  wrong  in  the  preservation  of  the  solidarity  of  the  Jew 
as  a  people,  it  remains  to  apply  the  arguments  which  I  have 
adduced  in  support  of  this  proposition  to  the  particular  subject 
that  we  have  in  hand. 

To  apply  the  argument  to  the  Jews  is  not  without  difficulty. 
General  principles  are  often  easily  deducible  from  a  multitude 
of  examples,  but  when  deduced  it  is  not  easy  to  apply  them. 
It  is  not  doubtful  that  if  the  Jews  are  benefited  by  remaining 
Jews  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name,  and  no  overbalancing  injury  is 
done  to  society  thereby,  they  should  perpetuate  their  existence 
as  Jews.  I  leave  out  of  consideration  all  questions  of  religious 
duty.  This  is  not  a  discussion  from  a  religious  but  from  a 
social  standpoint.  Aside  from  all  considerations  of  religion,  to 
my  mind  it  is  clear  that  the  Jew  should  remain  a  Jew,  and  the 
Jews  as  such  should  preserve  their  integrity  as  a  distinct  people. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Wherein  is  Considered  the  Possibility  of  Perpetuating  the  Exist 
ence  of  the  Jews  as  a  Distinct  People. 

Before  entering  into  the  consideration  of  the  propriety  and 
expediency  of  preserving  the  distinctive  character  of  the  Jews  as 
a  people,  it  is  proper  to  pause  and  consider  the  possibility  of  ac 
complishing  such  a  result.  It  is  contended,  that  as  all  things 
change  and  pass  away,  so  too  will  the  Jews  suffer  a  radical  alter 
ation  in  their  constitution  and  gradually  pass  out  of  existence. 
The  pages  of  history  are  pointed  to  in  support  of  the  prophecy 
that  in  the  course  of  human  events  this  great  people  who  have  ex 
isted  so  long,  will  cease  to  be.  In  other  words,  that  it  is  inevita 
ble  destiny,  and  if  this  be  true,  it  is  said,  why  struggle  against 
the  inevitable?  I  do  not  share  this  view,  and  I  beg  the  patience 
of  the  reader  while  I  submit  the  reasons  which  impel  me  to  dis 
credit  such  gloomy  forebodings. 

There  is  always  something  pathetic  in  the  decay  of  power. 
The  strong  man  whose  strength  fails  him  always  excites  com 
miseration.  It  is  the  inevitable  in  every  life,  but  like  death,  which 
none  may  hope  to  escape,  it  draws  forth  a  sigh  of  regret,  none 
the  less  tender  and  heartfelt  because  wholly  in  vain.  The  history 
of  nations  is  fraught  with  a  like  pathetic  destiny.  Gibbon,  of 
whom  it  was  said,  "that  he  was  the  only  historian  of  the 
eighteenth  century  who  survived  the  criticism  of  the  nineteenth/' 
remarks  in  his  great  history  of  "Rome's  Decline  and  Fall," 
that  "the  history  of  all  nations  may  be  written  in  five  words — 
valor,  greatness,  discord,  degeneracy  and  decay."  Is  this  true  of 
the  Jews  ?  Are  we,  too,  passing  along  the  great  highway  of  de 
cay  in  obedience  to  any  inexorable  law  ?  I  trust,  I  believe  not.  If 
so,  however,  this  appeal  is  in  vain.  Therefore  I  pause  to  consider 
that  rule.  Gibbon's  sentence  is  dramatic,  brilliant,  climacteric  and 
striking;  it  is  not  without  serious  claims  to  accuracy  besides.  It 

2OI 


202  LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

is  obnoxious  to  criticism  as  being  a  prominent  and  attractive 
fragment  of  that  philosophy  of  history  which  assigns  to  each 
historical  event  its  place  in  the  entire  story,  making  them  all  fit  as 
nicely  as  the  different  scenes  in  a  drama.  The  history  of  modern 
historians  reads  more  like  fiction  than  truth,  not  perhaps  without 
reason.  The  plain  recital  of  facts  that  once  passed  for  history  has 
fallen  into  desuetude,  and  we  have  now  subtle  analyses  of  times, 
characters,  events,  manners  and  customs,  so  ingeniously  carried 
out  that  the  most  remote  events  are  brought  into  direct  connec 
tion  and  the  most  different  results  traced  to  a  common  cause.  It 
is  not  to  be  doubted  that  the  study  of  history  becomes  largely 
more  profitable  when  it  involves  the  search  for  the  causes  of 
events  as  well  as  a  knowledge  of  the  events;  but  it  is  doubtful 
to  my  mind  if  it  be  of  advantage  to  let  others  do  our  searching  or 
thinking.  The  human  intellect  is  ever  restless  and  grasping.  Man 
suffers  from  curiosity  and  ignorance;  thefe  is  always  in  him  a 
yearning  not  only  to  know  that  a  thing  is,  but  why  and  how  it  is. 
There  is  great  pleasure  in  the  satisfaction  of  this  yearning. 
Whenever  the  mind  finds  a  resting  place;  whenever  in  other 
words  it  satisfies  itself  as  to  the  how  and  why  of  anything,  a 
pleasurable  feeling  follows.  Hence  the  popularity  of  modern  his 
tories.  Historians  who  plausibly  explain  events  and  connect  eras 
with  one  another  meet  with  favor  because  they  satisfy  this  yearn 
ing.  It  is  because  of  this  tendency  of  our  natures  that  we  are 
prone  to  accept  as  true,  such  a  law  of  history  as  that  announced 
by  Gibbon.  Let  us  consider  that  tendency  more  fully  in  order 
that  we  may  better  understand  whether  our  satisfaction  with  the 
annunciation  of  the  law  is  a  safe  basis  upon  which  to  predicate 
its  universal  application.  Every  schoolboy  knows  and  we  all  re 
member  the  genuine  pleasure  derived  from  and  in  the  study  of 
mathematics.  To  reach  the  solution  of  a  difficult  problem  is  a 
great  triumph.  It  elevates  one's  self  in  one's  own  estimation.  It 
makes  the  heart  glow  with  self-satisfaction.  But  let  it  be  remem 
bered  right  here  that  the  pleasure  is  equal  whether  the  solution  be 
right  or  wrong  so  long  as  we  deem  it  correct. 

The  same  rule  applies  to  the  study  of  great  philosophical  ques 
tions.    The  pleasure  of  solution  is  great,  and  so  long  as  the  solu- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  20$ 

tion  be  deemed  correct,  the  pleasure  derived  by  the  thinker  is  un 
affected  by  the  real  truth  or  falsity  of  his  doctrine.  Unfortunate 
ly,  here  the  parallel  ends.  Mathematics  is  an  exact  science ;  phi 
losophy  applied  to  political  and  social  questions  is  not.  In  the 
first  an  error  is  quickly  and  inevitably  discovered ;  in  the  latter  it 
may  pass  unchallenged  forever.  Therefore  there  is  danger  in  the 
propensity  we  have  for  reaching  solutions — the  yearning  we  have 
for  resting  our  minds  on  a  conclusion ;  for  the  solution  or  conclu 
sion  may  be  essentially  wrong,  although  entirely  satisfactory,  and 
our  proneness  to  reach  solutions  and  conclusions  is  apt  to  precip 
itate  us  into  error.  Our  anxiety  to  rest  our  minds  is  the  prolific 
mother  of  fallacies,  and  our  errors  of  judgment  are  in  the  ratio 
of  our  anxiety  to  rest  our  minds.  Thus  it  is  a  well-known  fact 
that  people  who  are  slow  to  make  up  their  minds  are  more  gen 
erally  correct  than  those  who  jump  at  conclusions.  The  wish  is 
father  to  the  thought,  and  conclusions  are  arrived  at  frequently 
because  they  are  plausible  and  afford  a  satisfactory  rest  for  the 
mind.  Observe  how  attractive  yet  how  painful  are  mysteries; 
how  irresistible  is  the  impulse  to  account  for  them  by  an  hypothe 
sis.  What  yduth  has  not  pondered  over  the  authorship  of  the  let 
ters  of  Junius  or  the  identity  of  the  Man  with  the  Iron  Mask? 
Who  has  ever  been  indifferent  to  the  solution  of  a  local  mystery 
or  could  rest  until  his  mind  had  adopted  some  theory  in  explana 
tion?  And  let  me  ask  in  this  connection  how  often  have  these 
theories  been  verified  by  the  development  of  the  true  facts  ?  If  the 
reflecting  reader  will  recall  a  number  of  incidents  that  have  come 
under  his  own  observation,  and  will  compare  his  theories  with 
subsequently  ascertained  facts,  he  will  appreciate  the  truth  of  this 
paradox :  Nothing  is  so  apt  to  delude  as  the  plausible.  It  is  told 
of  a  noted  detective  that  he  always  doubted  what  seemed  the 
most  plausible  solution  of  a  mystery.  If  this  be  true  he  was  an 
extremist,  and  probably  more  often  deceived  than  not;  but  it  is 
not  to  be  gainsaid  that  there  was  method  in  his  madness.  Gibbon's 
brilliant  sentence  is  a  great  relief  to  the  mind  in  reading  history. 
It  offers  a  rule  that  is  plausible,  and  which  explains  much  that  is 
otherwise  perplexing.  I  am  not  prepared  to  denounce  it  as  al 
ways  unsafe,  but  I  cannot  subscribe  to  it  as  being  universal.  Its 


2O4  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

champion  will  argue  down  every  fact  that  limits  scope  in  order 
to  accommodate  facts.  This  species  of  advocacy  is  as  old  as  con 
troversy  itself.  One  historian  will  fritter  away  every  fact  that 
operates  against  the  perfect  virtue  or  peerless  greatness  of  his 
hero ;  another  will  smother  every  fact  that  would  invest  the  same 
character  with  a  single  "virtue  among  a  thousand  crimes."  Nor 
is  this  surprising.  There  is  no  doctrine  so  absurd  but  what  it  may 
find  devoted  and  able  champions  with  sword  or  pen,  and  we  are 
so  apt  to  cling  to  our  own  theories  that  our  loyalty  increases  as 
they  are  attacked.  Such  championship,  however,  overleaps  itself, 
and  the  champion  himself,  like  Prince  Rupert,  after  de 
stroying  and  pursuing  the  enemy  immediately  in  his  front 
finds  himself  hemmed  in  by  others  on  either  side.  The  great 
soldier  and  the  wise  thinker  are  ever  conservative.  They 
are  willing  and  ready  to  keep  their  minds  always  in 
unrest  rather  than  adopt  a  false  conclusion.  The  true  philosopher 
cares  nothing  for  plausibility ;  truth  is  his  desideratum,  and  with  a 
judicial  mind  he  is  prepared  to  abandon  a  rule  that  will  not  ac 
commodate  itself  to  facts  that  he  refuses  to  ignore  or  pervert. 

If  the  reader  has  a  mind  to  pursue  this  line  of  thought  fur 
ther  than  it  would  be  proper  to  consider  it  here,  I  commend  to 
him  the  study  of  metaphysical  writings.  If  you  would  seek  an  ex 
planation  of  the  manner  in  which  the  human  intellect  operates, 
seek  it  in  Socrates,  Plato  and  Aristotle.  You  will  find  a  satisfac 
tory  answer  to  many  queries.  Pursue  your  investigations  further 
and  you  will  find  that  Kant,  Descartes,  Spinoza,  Malebranche, 
Jouvins,  Reid,  Stuart,  Hamilton,  etc.  are  all  equally  plausible, 
and  that  all  differ  more  or  less. 

The  rule  which  Gibbon  announces  for  writing  national  his 
tories  has  its  exceptions,  which  may  or  may  not  be  numerous 
enough  to  destroy  the  rule.  I  shall  not  venture  an  opinion  as  to 
that.  It  is  only  pertinent  for  me  to  inquire  whether  or  not  the 
rule,  if  it  be  one,  applies  to  the  history  of  the  Jews. 

It  is  a  commonly  accepted  doctrine  that  "revolutions  never 
travel  backward,"  which  is  but  a  more  general  statement  of  the 
rule  which  I  have  just  criticised  and,  of  course,  is  subject  to  the 
same  criticism.  It  is  easy  to  say  that  a  revolution  or  a  history 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  2O5 

pursues  a  course  like  an  arrow  shot  into  the  air ;  but  it  were  just 
as  easy  to  compare  them  to  a  pendulum.  Either  comparison  might 
be  defended,  and  both  shown  to  be  plausible;  they  are  probably 
neither  correct.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  misunderstood  as  decrying 
the  effort  to  find  general  laws.  That  would  be  to  decry  science 
itself,  for  the  highest  office  of  science  is  to  discover  laws  in  ex 
planation  of  phenomena,  and  it  follows  that  the  discovery  of  the 
most  general  law  is  the  highest  achievement  of  science.  The  high 
est  aim  of  science  is  the  most  general  law,  and  the  search  should 
and  in  the  nature  of  things  must  be  never-ending ;  for  it  is  a  striv 
ing  after  the  infinite.  What  I  do  wish  to  maintain  is  that  the 
eagerness  of  the  search  is  apt  to  make  the  seeker  prematurely  cry 
Eureka,  and  declare  as  the  law  what  seems  to  be,  or  is  desired 
to  be,  the  law.  That  is  to  substitute  the  shadow  for  the  substance, 
the  desire  for  the  thing  desired.  It  is  the  same  weakness  or  im 
pulsiveness  which  makes  the  eager  miner  mistake  pyrites  of  iron 
for  free  gold.  The  former  looks  like  the  precious  metal,  but  when 
placed  in  the  assayer's  crucible  the  delusion  is  dissipated.  The 
history  of  the  Jews  is  not  written  in  the  five  words  of  Gibbon ;  it 
is  not  a  revolution  that  has  never  reversed  its  course.  It  is  rather 
like  a  mountain  stream,  whose  source  is  on  some  inaccessible 
height,  whose  course  varies  to  accommodate  the  surface  it  tra 
verses  ;  now  winding  around  a  hill,  now  creeping  through  a  val 
ley  ;  now  dashing  over  a  cliff ;  ever  and  anon  losing  itself  in  the 
bowels  of  the  earth,  to  appear  again  with  renewed  vigor ;  now  ap 
parently  frittered  away,  only  to  gush  from  some  distant  rock  on 
the  opposite  side  of  a  hill ;  now  pushing  sturdily  toward  the  sea, 
and  then  winding  its  way  around  a  hill  toward  the  morning  of  its 
existence;  and  at  last  typifying  the  future  of  the  Jews  by  being 
lost  to  human  ken  in  some  unexplored  cave. 

Neither  their  existence  nor  greatness  as  a  nation  or  a  people 
had  its  genesis  in  their  valor.  Physical  courage  has  always  been 
an  incident,  not  an  element,  of  the  Jewish  character.  It  has  no  in 
dependent  existence  in  their  make-up,  and  always  depended  upon 
something  else.  With  some  exceptions  this  may  be  said  of  all 
Oriental  people.  The  sense  and  fear  of  danger  is  highly  devel 
oped  in  them,  and  there  is  no  cultivation  of  that  indifference  to  it. 


2O6  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

which  has  distinguished  the  great  nations  of  Western  Europe.  On 
the  other  hand  in  assertion  or  defense  of  a  principle  no  people 
have  succeeded  so  well  in  overcoming  physical  fear  in  order  to 
wrest  the  right  from  the  very  jaws  of  danger.  To  my  mind  this 
is  the  highest  order  of  courage.  He  who  marches  with  deter 
mination  to  the  cannon's  mouth,  with  blanched  cheek  and  flutter 
ing  heart,  is  a  hero  in  that  he  overcomes  himself ;  he  who  rushes 
forward  with  a  laugh  on  his  lip  is  but  a  little  better  than  the 
brute  that  does  not  appreciate  danger.  I  have  read  somewhere 
an  anecdote  of  two  soldiers  riding  into  battle  who  represented  the 
two  species  of  courage  that  I  have  mentioned.  One  was  pale  and 
nervous,  the  other  free-hearted  and  gay.  The  latter  taunted  the 
former  with  being  afraid.  The  answer  came  quick  and  to  the 
point.  The  pale  soldier  drove  his  spurs  home,  and  as  his  horse 
sprang  forward,  cried :  "So  I  am,  and  if  you  were  half  as  fright 
ened  you  would  be  riding  in  the  opposite  direction."  Nations  that 
are  established  in  greatness  may  depend  upon  the  courage  born  of 
principle  for  defense,  but  a  nation  that  has  to  carve  out  its  destiny 
must  have  courage  independent  of  principle.  Hengist  and  Horsa 
had  no  principles  to  govern  them,  yet  they  boldly  sailed  out  into 
the  tempestuous  sea,  through  the  stormy  channel,  and,  landing 
upon  a  foreign  hostile  shore,  acquired  by  the  right  of  conquest  the 
little  island  upon  which  has  grown  a  nation  upon  whose  domin 
ions  the  sun  never  sets. 

Theirs  was  a  courage  of  which  conquerors  are  made.  They 
knew  but  one  law : 

"The  good  old  plan 

That  he  should  take  who  hath  the  power, 
And  he  should  keep  who  can." 

This  is  the  "valor"  that  Gibbon  names  as  the  groundwork  of 
national  greatness.  It  has  never  been  the  substratum  of  Jewish 
success.  The  Jews  have  fought  often,  bravely  and  well,  but  al 
ways  for  principle.  They  have  ever  been  patient  and  long  suffer 
ing,  and  needed  leaders  to  urge  them  to  battle,  but  once  convinced 
that  the  right  and  God  was  with  them  they  marched  unto  battle 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  2O7 

inspired  by  a  courage  that  is  not  daunted  by  wounds  or  repulses, 
and  seldom  indeed  did  they  battle  in  vain.  [See  Joshua,  chaps. 
6  and  7.] 

It  would  be  impossible  to  name  the  basis  of  Jewish  greatness 
without  opening  the  great  Book.  Save  in  that  chronicle  their 
genesis  is  unwritten,  and  I  am  reluctant  to  quote  that  to  many 
of  my  readers.  There  is  faith  and  faith.  I  know  many  intelli 
gent  persons  who  will  implicitly  believe  a  history  of  the  moon 
written  by  some  imaginative  astronomer  from  experiment  with  a 
spectroscope,  but  who  reject  the  general  outlines  even  of  a  his 
tory  that  has  run  the  gauntlet  of  criticism  for  thousands  of  years. 

The  history  of  the  Jews  itself  conclusively  proves  that  Gib 
bon's  rule  does  not  apply  to  the  Jews.  I  have  already  shown  that 
their  greatness  was  not  based  upon  that  kind  of  valor  to  which 
the  historian  alludes.  The  most  superficial  student  of  Jewish  his 
tory  is  entirely  familiar  with  the  discord  that  prevailed  among  the 
Jews  at  the  time  of  their  greatest  apparent  prosperity.  The  vic 
tory  of  Titus  in  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  was  due  in  a  greater 
measure  to  the  discord  which  prevailed  behind  the  walls,  than  to 
the  courage  of  the  Roman  legions  that  lay  before  them,  and  not 
only  in  temporal  matters  were  they  then  and  have  they  since 
been  distracted  by  intestinal  controversies.  In  religious  matters 
they  have  time  and  again  been  convulsed  by  the  bitterest  conten 
tions,  and  they  have  degenerated  in  consequence  of  such  discords 
and  other  circumstances  pressing  upon  them  from  without,  but 
they  have  never  passed  into  the  stage  of  decay.  The  nineteenth 
century  found  them  emerging  from  centuries  of  oppression,  from 
the  evil  effects  of  dissipation  throughout  the  different  nations  of 
the  globe,  from  distractions  arising  from  religious  differences, 
but  notwithstanding  we  are  confronted  with  the  irrefragible  fact 
that  the  Jews  are  more  numerous,  more  powerful,  more  culti 
vated  and  more  wealthy  today  than  at  any  time  in  their  history. 
The  mission  entrusted  to  them  by  their  God  has  not  yet  ended: 
"And  I  will  make  of  thee  a  great  nation  and  I  will  bless  thee  and 
make  thy  name  great  and  thou  shalt  be  a  blessing;  and  I  will 
bless  them  that  bless  thee,  and  curse  them  that  curseth  thee,  and 
in  thee  shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  Genesis,  chap. 


208  LEO   N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

XII,  2,  3.  The  mission  of  Israel  has  not  yet  ended,  nor  will  it 
cease  as  long  as  Polytheism  and  immorality  exist.  In  a  memora 
ble  lecture  upon  the  growth  of  "Ethical  Monotheism,"  by  Rabbi 
Isaac  S.  Moses,  of  Milwaukee,  delivered  before  the  Unitarian 
Conference  at  Madison,  Wis.,  the  following  language  was  em 
ployed:  "In  order  to  bring  to  mankind  the  flaming  law  of  the 
sanctity  of  life  in  order  to  teach  the  awful  burden  of  man's  moral 
responsibility,  Israel  had  to  pass  through  a  school  of  probation, 
such  as  no  other  nation  has  ever  passed.  Every  religion  is  judged 
by  its  code  of  morals,  but  the  true  test  of  that  code  must  be  found 
in  the  history  of  its  development  and  in  the  character  of  its  repre 
sentatives.  Intertwined  with  Israel's  historical  life  is  the  progress 
of  his  moral  ideas.  The  God  of  Israel  becomes  the  true  God,  be 
cause  the  morale  of  Israel  proves  to  be  the  true  morality.  What 
explains  the  singular  phenomenon,  that  of  all  the  nations  that 
once  flourished  and  formed  mighty  empires,  no  trace  nor  vestige 
has  remained  except  perhaps  ruins  and  fragments ;  but  Israel  still 
exists,  not  merely  as  a  relic  of  the  past,  but  as  a  living  wonder 
of  the  indestructibility  of  the  Jewish  faith  and  race?  What  has 
kept  Israel  alive  amidst  the  destructive  floods  of  fanaticism  and 
unending  persecutions  ?  Was  it  merely  his  grand  peculiar  belief 
in  the  One  God,  or  was  it  not  rather  his  code  of  morals,  the  sanc 
tity  of  his  domestic  life,  the  virtue  of  the  men  and  the  purity  of 
the  women  of  Israel,  that  wrought  this  miracle  of  preservation 
and  survival  of  the  morally  fittest  ?  The  colossal  empires  of  Asia 
crumbled  into  dust  before  the  altar  fires  of  Mylitta;  the  Greek 
States  imbibed  their  death  poison  from  the  lips  of  Aphrodite ;  the 
iron  State  of  the  Romans  melted  away  before  the  glance  of 
Venus.  Israel  still  lives,  because  he  has  made  the  Holy  One  his 
God ;  because  he  has  heard  the  thunder  word :  "Ye  shall  be  holy, 
because  I,  the  Eternal,  your  God,  am  holy." 

But  laying  aside  the  consideration  of  Jewish  greatness  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  Bible,  and  as  the  result  of  providential 
guidance,  let  us  consider  it  in  the  light  of  history.  In  my  judg 
ment  the  greatness  of  the  Jews  has  been,  and  is  not  so  much  in 
achievement  of  a  positive  character,  as  in  endurance.  Their 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  2OQ 

greatness  consists  more  in  what  they  have  suffered,  than  in  what 
they  have  done. 

Patience  and  faith  have  been  their  weapons,  and  with  them 
they  have  withstood  for  five  thousand  years  every  attack  that 
bigotry  could  organize,  valor  could  undertake  and  cruelty  con 
summate. 

Other  nations  may  boast  conquests  and  triumphs  born  of  ag 
gression,  but  though  the  fruits  of  victory  have  been  manifold, 
they  have  not  been  enduring;  and  it  may  be  truly  said  that  the 
nation  whose  greatness  grows  out  of  valor  passes  through  the 
stages  of  discord  and  degeneracy  to  decay.  Persia,  Athens, 
Sparta,  Macedonia,  Egypt,  Assyria,  Rome  and  Carthage  have  all 
played  the  same  drama  with  different  scenes.  The  Jew  alone  is 
sui  generis. 

But  half  the  right  is  wrested, 

When  victory  yields  her  prize; 
And  half  the  marrow  tested, 
When  old  endurance  dies. 

The  greatest  Jews  suffered  and  endured  to  triumph.  Jacob 
suffered  and  waited  for  fourteen  years  only  to  triumph  in  the 
possession  of  Rachel.  Moses  toiled  in  patience  and  meekly  bowed 
to  the  fiat  that  forbade  him  the  promised  land.  David  suffered 
throughout  youth  from  the  persecutions  of  Saul,  and  in  his  age 
in  the  loss  of  his  son;  and  Jesus,  who  is  claimed  to  be  a  Prince 
of  David's  house,  wrought  more  in  a  moment  with  the  blood  that 
trickled  from  his  hands  and  feet  than  Pontius  Pilate  could  achieve 
in  centuries  with  all  the  legions  of  Rome  at  his  back.  Nor  is  it 
alone  in  the  dim  past  that  they  have  worked  out  a  principle  by 
the  resistance  of  virtue  and  the  influence  of  patient  courage.  The 
pages  of  profane  history  are  as  full  of  their  triumphs  as  the 
Bible.  Nero  was  not  worse  than  Torquemado ;  the  arena  no  more 
terrible  than  the  Ghetto — but  the  same  power  of  resistance  that 
triumphed  in  earlier  times  over  the  persecutions  of  the  heathen 
and  the  Christian,  overcame  in  succeeding  years  the  onslaught  of 
the  Turk  and  the  Moor,  the  Spaniard  and  the  English  Puritan, 
the  German  infidel  and  the  Slavic  bigot.  Theirs  has  been  a 


2IO  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

hardy  growth  that  flourished  in  storm  with  more  vigor  than  in 

calm. 

"But  from  their  nature  will  the  tannen  grow, 
Loftiest  on  loftiest  and  least  sheltered  rocks. 
Rooted  in  barrenness,  where  naught  below 
Of  soil  supports  them  'gainst  the  Alpine  shocks 
Of  eddying  storms ;  yet  springs  the  trunk  and  mocks 
The  howling  tempest,  till  its  height  and  frame 
Are  worthy  of  the  mountains  from  whose  blocks 
Of  bleak,  gray  granite  into  life  it  came, 
And  grew  a  giant  tree ;  the  mind  may  grow  the  same." 

The  same  poet,  Byron,  in  "Childe  Harold,"  who  wrote  the 
above,  and  who  suffered  so  much  himself,  says: 

"All  suffering  doth  destroy,  or  is  destroyed, 
Even  by  the  sufferer,  and  in  each  event  ends." 

Invoke  the  past  for  nations  that  have  escaped  calamity  and 
suffering  only  by  ceasing  to  be,  and  a  thousand  will  respond ;  ask 
for  those  that  have  destroyed  calamity  and  suffering  by  living 
them  down  with  patient  courage,  and  the  answer  will  come  but 
from  one — an  answer  spoken  in  the  calm,  brave  voice  of  the  Jew : 
"Thou  callest  me,  and  I  am  here."  In  this  virtue  of  endurance 
I  believe  the  Jews  have  a  safeguard  against  the  decay  that  has 
marked  the  history  of  all  other  peoples. 

Nor  has  this  spirit  of  endurance  passed  out  from  the  Jewish 
character.  They  are  as  strong  today  in  that  respect  as  at  any 
time  in  their  history,  and  the  chronicles  of  our  own  times  point 
out  as  many  Jewish  martyrs  as  the  history  of  Spain  during  the 
terrible  dominion  of  Torquemado.  The  outrages  that  have  been 
committed  in  the  Balkan  provinces  and  throughout  all  Russia, 
and  even  in  civilized  Germany,  may  well  challenge  ancient  history 
for  parallels,  but  throughout  it  all  the  inflexible  spirit  of  the  He 
brew  has  withstood  persecution,  and  the  light  which  burns  on  the 
altar  of  the  chosen  people  is  yet  undimmed. 

Jews  become  apostates  at  rare  intervals  from  choice,  but  under 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  211 

compulsion,  never.  It  is  true,  that  at  times  under  great  stress  Jews 
have  feigned  conversion.  Thus  Prescott  in  his  History  of  Ferdi 
nand  and  Isabella,  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  inquisition,  says, 
"In  this  crisis  the  only  remedy  left  to  the  Jews  was  a  real  or 
feigned  conversion  to  Christianity.  St.  Vincent  Ferrier,  a  Domin 
ican  of  Valencia,  performed  such  a  quantity  of  miracles  in  fur 
therance  of  this  purpose  as  might  have  caused  the  envy  of  any 
saint  in  the  calendar,  and  these,  aided  by  his  eloquence,  are  said 
to  have  changed  the  hearts  of  no  less  than  35,000  of  the  race  of 
Israel,  which  (significantly  adds  the  historian ),  doubtless  must 
be  reckoned  the  greatest  miracle  of  all." 

That  this  power  of  resistance  still  exists  among  the  Jews  of 
our  own  time  is  not  only  proven  by  the  results  of  persecutions 
in  the  East  but  by  the  sorry  returns  of  the  various  societies 
founded  for  the  purpose  of  proselyting  the  Jews.  Statistics  show 
that  after  the  expenditure  of  thousands  of  treasure,  only  at  rare 
intervals  have  such  societies  secured  an  ostensible  convert,  and 
the  majority  of  these  soon  proved  to  be  hypocrites,  who  merely 
abjured  their  religion  in  order  that  they  might  possess  themselves 
of  the  tempting  bribes  which  such  organizations  offered  to  pre 
sumed  Jewish  avarice. 

Their  long  history  of  suffering  for  principle's  sake  is  the 
legacy  of  the  modern  Jew,  and  it  were  the  most  barbarous  disre 
gard  of  the  holy  sentiment  of  national  and  family  pride  to  cast 
it  aside.  Reverence  for  ancient  institutions  and  loyalty  to  the 
principles  out  of  which  they  grew  are  not  the  proper  subject  of 
commendation  by  argument.  They  are  sentiments  that  grow  and 
exist  in  noble  natures,  like  the  wild  violet  in  the  forest.  The 
subtlest  chemistry  can  not  discover  the  particular  law  under 
whose  operations  the  wild  flower  grows,  nor  substitute  its  growth ; 
neither  can  logic  discover  the  fount  in  the  human  organization 
whence  flow  our  noblest  sentiments.  But  we  have  an  instinct 
common  to  us  all  which  commends  or  condemns  any  development 
of  the  human  mind  and  heart,  and  by  this  standard  I  feel  safe 
in  declaring  that  the  strongest  evidence  of  moral  decay  in  any 
people  is  indifference  to  the  traditions  and  principles  of  its  fore 
fathers. 


212  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

The  Jews  in  America  have  been  relieved  in  a  great  measure 
of  the  pressure  under  which  they  have  existed  for  years,  and  pros 
perity,  coupled  with  liberty,  has  filled  many  of  them  with  that 
pride  of  self  which  condemns  all  humility  as  degrading  and  all 
reverence  as  maudlin.  Like  the  stream  to  which  I  have  compared 
them  they  have  been  a  great  force  as  long  as  they  have  been  con 
fined  to  high  and  narrow  limits,  but  now  that  they  are  freed 
from  restrictions  they  are  in  danger  of  spreading  in  a  thin,  ex 
posed  sheet  over  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  thus  being  ulti 
mately  lost.  Shall  we  not  rather  channel  for  ourselves  new  and 
greater  courses,  in  whose  confines  we  shall  continue  to  be  a  noble 
stream?  Shall  we  not  confine  ourselves  in  the  banks  of  Prin 
ciples  and  Loyalty  to  the  ancient  traditions  of  our  fathers,  and 
thus  preserve  our  integrity?  We  can  if  we  will;  and  shall  we 
not?  What  answer  can  the  mind  make  to  this  plea  of  the  heart? 
What  reply  can  Utility  make  to  this  demand  of  Right?  For 
myself,  I  should  not  care  to  inquire  the  consequence  of  keeping 
faith  with  my  ancestors.  To  me  it  is  sufficient  that  I  am  one 
of  that  people  who  have  ever  been  a  part  of -the  world,  yet  dis 
tinct  from  it,  and  who,  through  storm  and  calm,  have  existed 
in  their  distinctive  integrity,  just  as  the  gulf  stream  has  flowed 
on  forever  as  part  of  the  sea,  yet  as  a  river  running  its  endless 
course  with  the  ocean  for  its  banks.  It  were  faithless,  cowardly 
and  inhuman  to  forget  or  disregard  our  past ;  and  to  cease  to  be 
in  principle  what  our  fathers  were,  is  to  forget  or  disregard. 
I  do  not  contend  that  manners  and  customs  should  not  change, 
but  I  maintain  that  the  integrity  of  our  people,  the  sacredness 
of  the  tie  that  unites  us,  the  almost  family  relation  among  all 
Jews,  which  has  been  our  safeguard  in  all  ages,  should  be  pre 
served  in  the  exercise  of  that  holy  duty  which  was  enjoined  by 
the  great  Law-giver:  "Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother  that 
thy  days  may  be  long  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  has 
given  thee." 

When  Regulus  was  called  upon  to  break  faith  with  the  Cartha 
ginians,  whose  treachery  has  become  proverbial,  or  advise  his 
people  to  a  disadvantageous  treaty,  he  turned  his  back  upon  his 
country  and  his  people,  his  wife  and  his  children,  his  honors  and 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  213 

his  life,  because  it  did  not  become  him,  as  a  Roman,  to  betray  his 
country  nor,  as  a  man,  to  violate  his  pledge.  His  life  is  the  bright 
est  page  in  Roman  history,  because  it  exemplifies  the  principle 
highest  above  all  others,  that  the  noblest  virtue  is  to  do  right  with 
out  regard  to  consequences. 

"Not  bestowed 
In  vain  should  such  examples  be." 

We  who  are  the  "heirs  of  all  the  ages ;"  we  whose  veins  con 
tain  the  oldest  and  the  purest  blood;  we  who  have  survived 
Nebuchadnezzar  and  Semiramis,  Alexander  and  Caesar;  we  who 
can  point  to  the  ever-fresh  monuments  of  our  greatness,  monu 
ments  whose  age  make  modern  the  crumbling  walls  of  the  Coli 
seum;  we  the  people  who  antedate  all  others  and  have  outlived 
them  all — we  should  remain  firm  in  our  devotion  to  all  that  has 
given  substance  to  these  boasts,  with  the  same  faith  in  results 
that  made  Daniel  calm  and  brave  when  he  was  cast  among  the 
lions.  It  is  a  solemn  duty,  and  there  the  inquiry  should  end,  but 
just  as  it  is  necessary  to  teach  honesty  by  showing  that  it  is  the 
best  policy,  it  may  be  proper  to  go  further  and  show  that  as  a 
matter  of  expediency  it  is  best  that  we  remain  Jews,  and  to  that 
consideration  I  shall  address  myself  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Wherein  is  Considered  the  Expediency  of  Preserving  the  Exist 
ence  of  the  Jews  as  Such. 

In  the  consideration  of  any  question  of  duty  the  welfare  of 
others  is  of  as  much  consequence  as  our  own;  in  the  considera 
tion  of  a  question  of  policy,  our  own  advancement  is  the  only 
end  in  view.  Unhappy  the  man  who  regulates  the  progress  of 
his  life  only  by  the  law  of  sordid  self-interest.  Such  a  creature 
carries  a  natural  impulse  to  an  extreme  that  makes  it  unnatural. 
He  distorts  the  law  of  self-defense  into  a  pretend*!  right  of  uni 
versal  and  indiscriminate  war  upon  the  world.  He  becomes  the 
hated  of  man,  the  victim  of  God;  for  no  love  can  extend  to  one 
devoid  of  love;  no  mercy  be  vouchsafed  to  him  who  displays 
none.  Though  it  be  not  in  the  Decalogue,  not  less  divine  is  the 
injunction:  "Love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 

I  am  not  blind  to  the  fact  that  the  vast  majority  of  men  are 
swayed  by  influences  of  both  good  and  evil,  and  that  while  no 
man  is  perfect  in  virtue,  no  one  is  wholly  steeped  in  evil.  It 
would  avail  nothing  to  preach  to  men  if  they  were  either  wholly 
good  or  wholly  bad.  In  the  one  case  it  would  be, 

"To  paint  the  lily 
Or  gild  refined  gold/' 

In  the  other  it  were  "To  cool  the  sun  by  fanning  it  with  a 
feather." 

But  when  men  desire  to  do  right  and  only  go  astray  when  they 
persuade  themselves  that  what  is  politic  is  right,  it  is  important 
either  to  show  that  what  is  politic  is  not  right — or  that  what  is 
wrong  is  not  politic.  Either  effort  if  successful  should  change 
their  course,  for  no  good  man  would  forsake  the  right  from  mo- 

214 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  215 

tives  of  policy;  no  intelligent  man  would  knowingly  go  counter 
to  his  own  interest  in  the  exercise  of  a  wrong. 

As  I  have  stated,  to  my  mind  it  is  sufficient  to  know  that  it  is 
a  solemn  duty  to  be  faithful  to  our  traditions.  But  I  have  friends, 
honest  and  true  in  desire,  who  differ  with  me  and  who  defend 
their  position  with  no  little  power.  It  is  contended  that  no  par 
ticular  form  of  religion,  no  adherence  to  particular  customs  is 
necessary  to  gain  the  favor  of  Heaven ;  that  therefore  it  becomes 
simply  a  question  for  consideration,  whether, 

"Here  upon  this  bank  and  shoal  of  Time," 

virtues  may  be  practiced  without  regard  to  creeds,  rites,  cer 
emonies  or  customs,  and  that  neither  our  religion  nor  our  customs 
should  be  preserved  unless  they  be  shown  to  further  our  temporal 
welfare.  In  respect  of  that,  it  is  urged  that  so  far  from  being  a 
benefit  they  are  the  reverse.  That  bigotry  and  oppression,  perse 
cution  and  outrage  are  stimulated  against  us  by  our  exclusive- 
ness  and  unity ;  that  if  we  disintegrate  and  sacrifice  our  integrity 
as  a  people,  intermarry  with  Christians,  forego  our  little  cliques, 
abjure  the  Synagogue  and  the  rite  of  circumcision,  oppression 
and  bigotry,  persecution  and  outrage  will  die  out  for  want  of 
fuel,  and  we  will  ride  untrammeled  on  the  highest  wave  of  our 
modern  civilization. 

I  have  stated  the  position  fairly  and  shall  treat  it  with  .respect 
ful  consideration.  I  shall  not  enter  into  any  theological  discus 
sion  as  to  the  necessity  of  religion  in  general  or  particular  for 
the  salvation  of  the  soul.  That  is  a  field  too  full  of  stones  and 
stumps  for  my  reaper.  I  take  direct  issue  with  the  proposition 
that  we  will  be  advanced  morally,  physically,  mentally  or  socially 
by  merging  our  existence  in  the  common  mass  of  mankind.  For 
the  sake  of  discussion  I  will  concede,  what  I  do  not  otherwise 
grant,  that  religion  is  of  no  consequence  in  the  determination 
of  our  life  beyond  the  grave. 

I  have  already  treated  briefly  of  the  general  proposition,  that 
in  order  for  man  to  attain  anything  approximating  universal 
brotherhood,  he  must  limit  his  sphere  to  confines  vastly  more  con- 


2l6  LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

tracted  than  those  aimed  at.  It  is  equally  true  that  he  must,  as 
that  he  should.  History  incontrovertibly  proves  that,  howsoever 
alike  different  species  of  men  be,  there  always  must  be  different 
species,  which  are  genera  to  other  species.  To  illustrate  let  us 
suppose  that  by  selection  members  of  every  species  of  man  or 
any  other  animal  were  associated  together  in  community,  with 
equal  rights,  privileges  and  duties.  Is  it  not  evident  that  in  a 
short  time  there  would  grow  out  of  this  chaos  a  distinct  species 
or  breed  ?  The  maturity  of  man  is  so  far  removed  from  his  birth 
than  we  can  only  study  this  problem  with  reference  to  him  in  the 
pages  of  history;  among  the  lower  animals  we  can  make  actual 
observations.  It  requires  but  little  experiment  to  show,  and  wider 
experience  demonstrates  that  no  matter  how  haphazard  any  sys 
tem  or  want  of  system  in  breeding  is  conducted,  out  of  it  will 
grow  a  distinct  breed.  In  the  make-up  of  any  old  woman's  poul 
try  there  may  be  blood  of  every  known  variety  infused  into  the 
stock  without  selection  or  skill,  but  nevertheless  in  a  short  time 
her  chicks  can  be  distinguished  from  those  of  her  neighbor  on 
the  adjoining  farm.  In  the  English,  French,  German  and  Span 
ish  peoples  we  find  a  great  variety  of  blood  indiscriminately  mixed 
without  regard  to  results,  and  yet  while  possessing  many  qualities 
in  common  they  are  distinct  in  thought  and  feeling,  physical, 
moral  and  intellectual  organization,  speaking  different  languages, 
governed  by  different  laws  and  practicing  different  customs. 

From  these  experiences  we  may  learn  this  lesson,  that  in 
crossing  breeds  a  new  breed  is  made — that  when  one  is  extin 
guished  by  a  failure  to  keep  it  pure  a  new  strain  is  either  formed 
or  largely  modified.  Therefore  if  classes  are  undesirable  nothing 
is  gained  by  surrendering  our  particular  classification.  We 
merely  make  room  for  another,  the  quality  of  which  we  can  not 
foretell.  When  I  say  another,  I  refer  not  only  to  those  that  may 
take  an  independent  existence,  but  also  those  whose  previous 
characters  are  modified  by  new  infusions.  Now  if  we  are  to 
selfishly  consider  the  benefits  we  are  to  derive  from  ceasing  to 
be  Jews,  it  behooves  us  to  inquire  wherein  we  may  be  advantaged 
by  crossing  our  breed,  and  by  continual  crossing  extinguish  its 
independent  existence.  I  devote  myself  especially  to  the  ques- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  217 

tion  of  blood  for  this  reason.  If  we  remain  exclusive  in  our  mar 
riages  we  perforce  must  remain  so  to  some  extent  in  our  social 
life ;  and  e  converse  if  we  .surrender  our  social  exclusiveness  we 
necessarily  forfeit  the  purity  of  our  strain  by  permitting  mixed 
marriages. 

"Man  is  fire  and  woman  is  tow, 

Bring  them  together  and  away  they  go," 

and  that,  too,  without  regard  to  questions  of  religion,  philosophy 
or  social  science.  The  Jews  are  famous  for  their  intellectual 
power,  their  moral  habits,  their  physical  development  and  health, 
and  their  pure  social  intercourse  with  one  another.  It  is  not  nec 
essary  to  parade  with  sophomoric  eloquence  the  exemplars  of  our 
intellectual  power.  The  world  concedes  that,  for  their  number, 
the  Jews  produce  more  great  men  than  any  other  people  on  the 
globe.  It  is  as  readily  conceded  that  their  moral,  physical  and 
social  habits  and  development  are  of  the  highest  order — so  high 
indeed  that  they  have  never  been  surpassed,  and  perhaps  never 
equaled.  Such  a  coincidence  of  high  and  noble  qualities  must  be 
due  to  a  law  which  if  ascertainable  may  throw  light  on  the  ques 
tion  under  discussion.  It  is  a  well  recognized  doctrine  that  na 
tional  characters  arise  from  a  community  of  blood,  climate,  laws 
and  customs.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Jews  who,  in  some 
respects,  constitute  a  nation,  though  they  claim  the  globe  for 
their  country  and  the  "Powers  that  be"  for  their  rulers.  If  this 
be  true,  that  the  community  of  blood,  customs,  religion,  etc.,  has 
created  the  Jewish  character,  why  change  the  law  that  is  fruitful 
of  such  glorious  results  ?  We  are  the  result  of  a  natural  selection 
that  has  been  going  on  for  thousands  of  years.  We  have  pre 
served  pure  a  strain  of  blood  that  in  the  beginning  was  better  than 
all  others  and  that  shows  no  sign  of  impairment.  Why  should  we 
abandon  methods  that  have  placed  us  in  the  front  ranks  of  men  ? 
The  stock-raiser  carefully  guards  the  purity  of  his  best  strains, 
fearing  that  the  infusion  of  other  blood  may  impair  the  quality  of 
his  stock.  Why  should  not  we  be  equally  jealous  of  ourselves? 
This  may  be  claimed  a  harsh  and  unfeeling  view  of  the  matter. 


2l8  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

It  may  be  urged  that  other  and  higher  than  mere  blood  consid 
erations  claim  attention,  but  may  I  ask  whence  characters  grow, 
if  not  from  blood  and  associations  ?  Besides,  in  what  else  will  we 
be  benefited?  Shall  we  in  America  have  higher  privileges  under 
a  Government  that  declares  all  men  free  and  equal  before  the 
law?  Shall  we  make  more  money,  we  who  now  enjoy  the  un 
enviable  distinction  of  being  a  nation  of  money-getters  ?  Shall  we 
be  more  cultivated,  educated  or  refined  because  we  forfeit  our 
birth  right?  Shall  we  be  more  beloved  by  our  fellow-creatures 
when  our  consciences  shall  upbraid  us  for  being  openly  at  war 
with  our  religion  and  our  traditions,  while  our  Christian  broth 
ers  sneer  at  us  for  being  secretly  faithful  thereto  ?  Shall  we  have 
to  struggle  less  for  a  livelihood  when  we  become  "men  of  the 
world?"  Shall  we,  whether  we  abjure  religion  or  not,  be  hap 
pier  because  the  door  of  a  mixed  society  is  smilingly  opened  in 
our  faces  and  more  smilingly  closed  on  our  backs  ? 

Ah !  but  it  is  said  that  the  name  of  Jew  is  a  millstone  around 
the  neck  of  ambition;  that  it  mars  a  career.  So  thought  Samuel 
Rogers  when  he  had  Benjamin  Disraeli  baptized  in  the  Church 
of  England.  Did  that  ceremony  aid  the  great  Jew  ?  Was  he  not 
always  in  the  public  eye  and  his  own  esteem  of  the  same  people 
as  his  great  friends,  the  Rothschilds  ?  Did  the  people  of  England, 
the  haughtiest  and  most  addicted  to  caste  of  all  the  great  West 
ern  powers,  love  Disraeli  less  because  he  championed  the  cause 
of  the  Jews  in  Servia,  Bosnia,  Herzogovinia,  and  paraded  with 
pride  through  his  works  that  he  was  a  Jew?  Turn  to  his  con 
temporary,  Edward  Lasker,  who  was  not  reared  out  of  his  faith. 
Did  he  not  rise  despite  his  birth,  and  hold  his  hands  upon  the 
heart-strings  of  Germany?  Contrast  him  with  Disraeli.  The 
latter  not  a  Jew,  except  by  blood,  espousing  the  cause  of  the 
Jews  amid  the  plaudits  of  the  world;  Lasker,  a  Jew  in  every 
thing  save  heart,  turning  his  back  upon  the  Jews  when  bigotry 
assailed  them,  only  to  merit  and  receive  the  first  condemnation 
expressed  for  him  by  the  civilized  world. 

The  world  is  cold  to  unwarranted  claims  in  whatever  guise 
they  come ;  it  is  liberal  to  merit  in  any  garb.  The  laurel  grows 
for  the  Jew  as  for  the  Christian.  It  is  true  that,  everything  else 


THE  J*WS  IN  AMERICA.  2IQ 

being  equal,  the  Jew  is  at  a  disadvantage,  because  of  the  pre 
judice  against  the  Jews  as  a  class,  but  it  is  equally  true  that  he 
who  is  inherently  great  will  rise  in  spite  of  the  prejudice.  Cer 
tainly  no  one  unworthy  the  laurel  may  wear  it,  because  as  to  him 
there  is  no  prejudice.  The  prejudice  which  prevails  against  a 
class  is  only  an  incubus  in  the  beginning.  As  soon  as  any  indi 
vidual  proves  himself  superior  to  the  faults  of  his  class  that  pro 
voke  prejudice,  he  is  made  an  exception,  and  in  being  made  an 
exception  is  treated  with  more  consideration  than  if  he  did  not 
belong  to  the  execrated  class.  Unquestionably  the  evil  reputa 
tion  of  the  Jews  injures  every  Jew  among  the  Gentiles  until  he 
makes  a  reputation  for  himself,  but  when  that  reputation  is  made 
the  name  of  Jew  is  honored  in  the  man  and  the  man  honored  in 
the  name.  But,  I  am  asked,  why  suffer  the  disadvantage  con 
ceded  in  the  outset  of  the  race?  Why  not  start  on  equal  terms  by 
giving  up  the  name  and  qualities  of  the  Jew  ?  To  this  I  answer 
that  the  favorite  does  not  always  win  the  race.  He  may  start 
under  more  auspicious  circumstances,  but  speed  and  endurance 
must  win.  Besides,  the  seeming  disadvantage  may  be  a  blessing 
in  disguise  in  that  it  stimulates  energies  that  would  otherwise 
lie  dormant.  It  is  certain  that  the  persecutions  of  the  Jews  have 
developed  their  greatness.  May  it  not  be  that  the  necessity  for 
greater  exertion  to  attain  their  ends  was  the  secret  of  the  success 
of  the  great  among  our  people  ?  Moreover,  if  we  free  ourselves 
from  this  disadvantage  we  assume  others.  Nature  distributes 
her  compensations  as  the  clouds  do  their  raindrops.  A  man  must 
have  some  religion  or  none,  and  whichever  he  chooses  he  will 
find  himself  more  or  less  handicapped  thereby.  In  particular 
localities  one  religion  may  offer  greater  inducements  than  others, 
but,  as  a  rule,  it  matters  not  what  faith  is  professed.  The  race 
will  be  to  the  swift  and  enduring.  A  striking  proof  of  this  is 
found  in  the  proverbial  failure  in  life  of  the  sons  of  great  men. 
They  start  in  their  careers  with  the  prestige  of  a  great  name,  they 
enjoy  the  patronage  of  a  wide  circle  of  family  friends,  but  when 
the  ancestral  fire  is  wanting  the  family  light  grows  dim.  If  this 
be  true  of  those  who  have  a  positive  advantage,  how  true  must  it 
be  of  those  who  only  enjoy  the  negative  advantage  of  a  free 


22O  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

field  and  a  fair  fight !  I  am  convinced  that  every  legitimate  assist 
ance  in  the  beginning  will  aid  in  securing  success  at  the  end 
but  an  advantage  or  seeming  advantage  secured  at  the  cost  of  a 
principle  will  prove  a  detriment  before  the  end  is  reached.    "The 
mills  of  the  gods  grind  slowly,  but  they  grind  exceedingly  fine." 

Success  is  the  reward  of  merit  alone,  and  merit  needs  no 
aids  that  are  purchased  at  the  price  of  the  noblest  sentiments. 
In  every  department  of  life  there  is  a  republic  of  excellence,  and 
he  who  possesses  the  highest  excellence  may  become  a  president. 
Is  the  music  of  Meyerbeer  and  Mendelssohn  less  admired  because 
they  were  Jews  or  the  sons  of  Jews  ?  Do  students  ignore  Spinoza 
because  he  was  a  Jew?  Does  the  interest  flag  in  reading  Auer- 
bach  and  Heine  because  they  were  Jews  ?  Who  is  it  that  would 
pluck  a  flower  from  the  immortelles  that  grace  the  venerable  fore 
head  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore? 

It  is  the  sheerest  nonsense  to  think  that,  individually,  we  suf 
fer  in  this  country  because  there  is  a  prejudice  against  Jews. 
There  is  no  prejudice  against  a  Jew  who  is  worthy  of  the  name; 
it  only  extends  to  those  who  disgrace  the  name.  A  gentleman 
who  does  honor  to  the  name  derives  honor  from  it,  for 

"He  gives  but  to  receive  again, 

As  the  seas  return  the  rivers  in  rain." 

The  unsuccessful  man  is  always  casting  about  for  the  excuse 
for  his  failure,  and  the  last  explanation  to  strike  him  is  his  own 
deficiencies.  It  is  a  safe  rule  that  he  who  lays  his  failure  at  the 
door  of  his  creed  or  race,  seeks  an  illegitimate  parent  for  his 
own  abortion. 

"The  fault,  dear  Brutus,  is  not  in  our  stars, 
But  in  ourselves  that  we  are  underlings." 

I  do  not  dispute  that  in  barbarous  countries  or  among  bigoted 
peoples,  where  the  Jews  are  persecuted  as  such,  there  may  be  a 
positive  advantage  in  not  being  a  Jew.  But  there  is  no  need  for 
a  utilitarian  argument  to  such  Jews.  Faithful  to  the  traditions 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  221 

of  the  Jews,  they  are  more  adherent  to  their  religion  and  their 
customs  in  adversity  than  in  prosperity.  With  them  it  suffices 
to  know  and  feel  that  it  is  right  to  be  Jews.  The  suffering  that 
grows  out  of  the  exercise  of  that  right  they  leave  to  the  God  of 
Israel,  in  whose  inscrutable  wisdom  and  justice  they  place  a 
sublime  faith.  I  should  not  omit  to  mention  one  other  disadvan 
tage  arising  from  the  desertion  of  Judaism  and  Jewish  modes  of 
life.  The  renegade  from  any  class  is  a  marked  man.  He  be 
comes  a 

"Fixed  figure  for  the  time  of  scorn 
To  point  his  slow,  unmoving  finger  at." 

The  Jewish  renegade  is  execrated  by  the  Jews  as  a  traitor 
and  a  coward ;  by  the  Christians  as  a  hypocrite  and  a  time-server. 
Consistency  and  sincerity  are  qualities  that  always  excite  admira 
tion  and  respect.  The  most  prominent  among  the  respected  and 
esteemed  Jews  are  those  who  are  Jews  at  heart  and  avowed  Jews 
before  the  world.  It  may  apparently  avail  a  man  to  abjure  his 
religion  and  his  people,  but  it  is  equally  true  that  at  times  there 
is  an  advantage  to  be  derived  from  absolute  falsehood  and  de 
ception. 

I  trust  I  shall  not  be  misunderstood  as  arguing  that  in  remain 
ing  Jews  it  is  essential  that  we  abstain  from  association  with  non- 
Israelites.  I  hold  no  such  views.  I  am  in  favor  of  intercourse, 
but  the  intercourse  that  I  favor  is  as  far  from  an  indiscriminate 
intermixture  as  it  is  from  absolute  exclusion.  I  favor  intercourse, 
conducted  upon  a  sound  philosophy,  applied  to  social  life.  I 
shall  have  occasion  to  treat  of  that  subject  further  on,  and  I  only 
mention  it  now  to  guard  against  misapprehension.  Thus  far  I 
have  confined  myself  to  the  consideration  of  the  single  question : 
Shall  we  as  Jews  perpetuate  our  solidarity  as  a  people  preserving 
our  faith  and  traditions,  and  our  social  characteristics?  I  have 
sought  to  show  that  our  perpetuity  depends  upon  ourselves ;  that 
we  as  a  people  are  superior  to  that  law  of  decay  which  affects 
all  others.  I  have  sought  to  answer  the  question  by  showing 
that  it  was  a  duty  to  do  so,  which  if  it  properly  might  be,  in  fact 


222  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

is  not  affected  by  any  considerations  of  true  policy.  Let  it  be 
remembered  that  I  have  discussed  the  question  thus  far  solely 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  Jew — I  shall  later  on  consider  it  in 
another  view. 

Assuming  that  the  question  I  have  propounded  should  be  an 
swered  affirmatively,  I  next  proceed  to  inquire  into  the  proper 
course  to  pursue  in  order  to  insure  the  integrity  of  the  Jews. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Wherein  is  Considered  the  Loyalty  Due  to  the  Traditions  and 
Customs  of  the  Jewish  Ancestors. 

No  problems  are  so  difficult  of  solution  as  the  problems  of 
casuistry.  When  the  reasoning  powers  are  applied  to  the  solution 
of  delicate  questions  of  right  or  wrong  they  utterly  fail,  except 
they  derive  conclusions  from  premises  that  do  not  properly  ema 
nate  from  the  reasoning  powers.  Indeed,  it  may  be  safely  an 
nounced  as  a  sound  proposition  that  all  rules  of  conduct  that  the 
reason  approves  are  deducible  from  the  moral  sense.  It  does  not 
follow  that  the  rules  will  or  must  be  correct  because  of  this 
fact.  It  is  not  certain  that  the  moral  sense  itself  has  not  been 
perverted  if  originally  pure,  and,  moreover,  in  the  process  of 
deduction  elements  may  creep  in  to  defile  the  purity  of  the  law. 
A  stream  may  gush  in  crystal  clearness  at  its  head,  and  be  a  filthy 
volume  at  its  mouth.  The  truth  of  the  general  proposition  thus 
briefly  mentioned  is  illustrated  by  the  power  of  what  we  call  con 
science.  Under  some  name,  that  element  of  our  spiritual  nature 
which  turns  to  the  right  and  from  the  wrong,  without  effort  or 
delay,  has  been  recognized  all  over  the  world,  and  at  all  times. 
Its  voice  is  often  drowned  by  false  logic,  but  it  is  never  silent. 
//  seldom,  if  ever,  errs ;  the  reasoning  faculties  are  as  often  wrong 
as  right.  Almost  any  act  can  be  plausibly  defended  by  the  under 
standing,  but  when  the  Reason  has  whitewashed  an  escutcheon 
the  Conscience  irrepressibly  points  to  the  fact  that  beneath  the 
coat  of  white  is  a  dark  and  repelling  substratum.  I  remember 
once  as  a  student  of  ethics  I  asked  our  learned  instructor  this 
question:  "If  I  saw  an  East  Indian  woman,  in  the  exercise  of 
her  religious  belief,  about  to  cast  her  infant  into  the  Ganges, 
should  I  prevent  what  I  conceive  to  be  a  murder  and  deny  her 
the  exercise  of  her  religious  belief,  or  should  I  be  tolerant  and 
suffer  a  murder?"  I  should  have  no  difficulty  now  in  answering 

223 


224  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

the  question;  but  then  it  presented  difficulties  to  one  who  be 
lieved  in  what  is  popularly  and  erroneously  called  the  exercise 
of  the  freedom  of  conscience.  The  professor's  answer  was  char 
acteristic:  "I  might  fail  to  satisfactorily  explain  my  course,  but 
I  know  that  my  moral  instincts  would  impel  me  to  prevent  the 
sacrifice,  and  I  would  do  it."  There  are  some  things  about  which 
we  can  not  reason,  they  are  so  deep ;  there  are  others  about  which 
we  need  not,  they  are  so  clear.  Twestern  said  much  the  same 
thing  about  the  existence  of  God. 

I  need  not  say  that  I  believe  in  this  moral  sense.  I  believe 
that  every  well  balanced  mind  acknowledges  its  existence. 

Utilitarians  may  and  do  argue  that  patriotism  is  a  virtue  be 
cause  it  is  politic,  but  the  martyrdom  that  has  been  suffered  by 
millions  of  patriots  is  an  answer  to  the  argument  which  no  logic 
can  meet.  The  love  of  country  has  a  higher  origin  and  a  broader 
base  than  mere  policy.  It  is  true  that  nations  are  created  or 
rather  grow  out  of  that  selfishness  which  I  have  discussed  al 
ready,  but  that  selfishness  is  merely  a  longing  to  satisfy  a  want 
common  to  all  mankind,  implanted  in  us  by  a  higher  power  to 
work  out  an  end  that  we  know  not  of.  Mere  logic  and  utilitarian 
ism  breed  such  apothegms  as  ubi  bene,  ibi  patriot;  the  moral  sense 
breeds  such  heroes  as  Regulus  and  Leonidas  and  Arnold  Winkel- 
ried.  Patriotism  is  a  virtue  positive  and  per  se,  and  hence  a  duty 
universally  recognized  and  universally  practiced.  It  is  but  a 
specific  form  of  that  loyalty  which  we  owe  to  a  higher  power, 
upon  which  we  depend,  whence  we  sprung  and  to  which  we  are 
indebted  for  existence,  improvement  and  protection.  Loyalty  to 
different  powers  and  different  institutions  may  co-exist  without 
conflict,  for  the  fealty  due  to  the  one  may  be  of  a  different  nature 
to  that  which  is  due  to  another.  The  population  of  the  United 
States  is  heterogeneous  in  its  elements,  but  homogeneous  in  its 
compound.  The  common  bond  of  American  citizenship  closes  the 
political  gap  between  people  that  by  education  and  from  nativity 
are  widely  apart ;  but  notwithstanding  this  community  of  loyalty, 
the  Frenchman  continues  to  love  France  and  hate  Germany,  and 
the  German  still  loves  Germany  and  hates  France.  It  is  not 
objected  to  in  our  country  that  American  citizens  of  German  birth 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  225 

or  extraction  should  celebrate  great  German  triumphs  with  en 
thusiasm  ;  nor  that  Frenchman  should  glow  over  the  victories  of 
the  Little  Corporal.  Die  Wacht  Am  Rhein  and  La  Marseillaise 
float  undisturbed  on  our  breezes,  for  we  know  that  when  the 
national  harpstrings  are  sounded,  the  Germans  and  the  French 
will  attune  their  voices  to  a  common  key  and  sing  in  harmony  the 
"Star  Spangled  Banner." 

There  is  nothing  inconsistent  in  the  Jewish  reverence  and 
love  for  the  traditions  and  customs  of  the  Jewish  fathers. 
It  is  the  same  order  of  loyalty  that  makes  the  natural 
ized  emigrant  weep  or  rejoice  in  the  sorrows  or  joys  of  the  nation 
whence  he  sprung.  It  is  true  we  have  no  land  that  we  may  call 
our  own.  There  is  not  a  foot  of  ground  upon  the  face  of  the 
globe  under  absolute  Jewish  dominion,  for  even  the  Jewish  cem 
eteries  are  parts  of  nations  in  which  the  Jews  are  citizens  or 
subjects,  independent  of  their  being  Jews.  But  while  we  have 
no  nation  in  that  sense  we  are  a  people  distinct  in  ourselves, 
though  scattered  broadcast  among  the  haunts  of  men.  Quam 
fluctus  diversi,  quam  mare  conjuncti.  Their  derivation  from  a 
common  source,  the  unparalleled  purity  of  their  blood,  the  same 
ness  of  their  creed  and  traditions,  the  melancholy  uniformity 
of  their  sufferings,  the  same  fears  and  hopes,  the  same  customs 
and  idiosyncrasies,  make  the  Jew  of  Asia  Minor  a  compatriot 
of  the  Jew  of  the  United  States.  The  bond  exists  and  it  is  rec 
ognized.  The  great  centenarian,  Sir  Moses  Montefiore,  is  its 
living  exemplar.*  From  our  shores  of  freedom  the  ships  of 
aid  and  encouragement  have  been  launched  for  tyrant  ports,  laden 
with  good  cheer  and  substantial  offerings  to  our  persecuted 
brethren  abroad. 

Was  it  wrong  for  us  to  aid  the  persecuted  Jews  in  Roumania 
and  neighboring  provinces,  while  others  busied  themselves  with 
missionary  work  in  Central  Africa?  Was  our  loyalty  misplaced* 
Certainly  our  government  thought  not  so  when  at  our  instance 
it  remonstrated  against  the  outrages,  and  recognized  our  sym 
pathetic  sufferings  by  sending  a  Jewish  Consul  to  Bucarest.* 

*  Written  before  his  death  in  1885. 

*Benj.  F.  Peixotto  during  Grant's  administration. 


226  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Our  moral  sense  tells  us  that  this  loyalty  is  right,  and  we  may  rea 
son  as  we  please  we  can  not  uproot  it.  We  have  no  Jewish  nation 
whose  laws  we  are  called  on  to  obey ;  we  have  no  common  home 
to  improve,  to  love  or  defend;  we  have  no  temporal  gvernment 
to  support,  but  we  have  in  common  a  past  of  our  fathers  full  of 
suffering  and  triumph,  patience  and  courage,  heroism  and  wis 
dom,  piety  and  truth ;  we  have  in  common  a  present  for  ourselves, 
great  in  the  growth  from  the  seeds  sown  in  that  past ;  we  have  in 
common  a  future  for  our  children  that  shall  give  fruition  where 
there  is  but  foliage  now.  To  that  past,  this  present  and  the  future 
we  owe  fealty.  It  is  a  duty  to  the  exercise  of  which  we  are 
admonished  by  the  still  small  voice  of  conscience,  the  neglect  of 
which  will  engender  the  bitterest  remorse. 

Let  not  this  loyalty  be  confounded  with  the  loyalty  that  the 
Roman  Catholic  pays  to  Rome.  The  Pontiff  still  claims  a  tem 
poral  power  for  the  See  and  as  the  head  of  the  Catholic  hierarchy 
he  rules  the  Catholics  of  the  world.  To  the  Catholics  he  is  the 
Vicar  of  God,  whose  bulls  are  revelations  from  on  High — and 
if  it  chances  that  governmental  laws  come  in  conflict  with  the 
decree  of  Rome  the  Catholic  is  called  on  as  part  of  his  religion 
to  cling  to  Mother  Church.  Our  loyalty  is  subject  to  no  such 
objection.  To  compare  the  two  is  to  compare  opposites;  the 
distinction  between  them  is  their  entire  difference  from  each 
other. 

I  shall  not  argue  that  it  is  proper  to  nourish  this  sentiment  of 
loyalty.  I  have  discussed  it  sufficiently  if  it  be  in  need  or  will 
admit  of  argument.  I  assume  that  it  should  be  nourished  and 
cultivated  as  a  virtue  of  the  highest  order.  I  urge  this  nourish 
ment  and  culture  as  one  of  the  means  by  which  the  Jews  can 
be  perpetuated.  If  we  be  true  to  the  traditions  of  our  fathers 
we  shall  live  as  long  as  filial  devotion  engenders  self-esteem  and 
the  admiration  of  the  world.  Without  our  history  and  our  line 
age  we  are  nothing,  and  it  behooves  us  to  cherish  them  more 
fondly  than  the  aristocrat  does  his  genealogy.  Our  family  tree 
was  rooted  on  creation's  dawn,  and  destined,  I  trust,  to  flourish 
until  the  latest  day. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Wherein  is  Considered  the  State  of  Judaism  in  the  United  States. 

I  have  already  stated  my  reluctance  to  touch  upon  the  subject 
of  religion,  and  if  I  feel  called  on  to  give  it  some  consideration, 
it  shall  be  but  a  brief  and  passing  notice.  The  discussion  of  our 
social  duties  would  be  incomplete  without  some  mention  of  our 
religion. 

It  has  become  fashionable  in  America  to  reform  "Judaism." 
The  phrase  is  either  absurd  or  inaptly  chosen.  The  religion  of 
the  Jews  can  not  be  reformed  or  altered  by  the  hand  or  mind  of 
man.  That  would  be  to  tinker  with  the  handiwork  of  divinity. 
We  might  as  well  seek  to  alter  the  operations  of  the  solar  system. 
The  practice  of  our  religion  is,  however,  the  proper  subject  of 
change.  Independent  of  any  form  of  religion  known  to  us, 
there  are  certain  natural  rights  which  occasion  reciprocal  duties. 
The  observance  of  the  duties  which  grow  out  of  the  rights  of 
others  is  the  religion  common  to  all.  Differences  have  arisen  as 
to  the  best  mode  of  practicing  the  duties  we  owe  to  one  another, 
and  as  each  mode  materializes  and  gains  supporters  it  takes. upon 
itself  the  name  of  a  distinct  religion.  In  so  far  as  each  teaches 
the  exercise  of  correct  principles  each  is  divine  and  may  not  be 
altered ;  in  so  far  as  they  adopt  or  practice  methods  of  instruction 
they  are  perhaps  all  human.  Judaism  has  no  broader  limits  than 
the  tablets  on  which  were  inscribed  the  Decalogue.  Who  obeys 
the  Commandments  is  a  Jew  so  far  as  religion  is  concerned.  It 
has  been  found,  however,  that  just  as  it  requires  a  criminal  code 
to  prevent  crimes  against  governments,  so  it  requires  religions  to 
prevent  violations  of  the  Ten  Commandments,  and  to  encourage 
the  practice  of  the  positive  virtues,  which  are  expressed  in  or 
implied  from  them. 

It  has  been  shown  that  man  is  actually  selfish.  This  quality 
in  its  normal  condition  is  a  virtue,  but  under  the  corrupting 
influence  of  our  animal  appetites  it  is  in  constant  danger  of  be- 

227 


228  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

coming  a  grave  fault.  Once  developed  in  its  unnatural  vigor  by 
animal  wants  or  desires,  it  clouds  the  reason  and  deadens  the 
conscience,  until  our  natural  duties  are  forgotten  or  wilfully  dis 
regarded.  To  counteract  this  tendency,  churches  have  been  built, 
so  that  under  the  melting  influence  of  '  'fretted  arch  and  long 
drawn  aisle,"  selfish  ends  may  be  forgotten  and  natural  duties 
become  prominent.  We  are  all  subject  to  the  effect  called  enthu 
siasm — that  frenzy  of  the  mind  to  which  we  are  indebted  for  the 
greatest  triumphs  of  mankind.  The  bravest  soldiers  will  lose 
courage  if  they  are  denied  the  inspiration  of  music  and  the  na 
tional  flag;  the  veriest  coward  glows  with  courage  when 
he  hears  his  comrades  cheer  a  response  to  the  martial  music 
of  the  drum  and  fife.  Orators  infuse  into  the  most  apa 
thetic  an  interest  in  public  affairs  by  arousing  their  enthusi 
asm.  Religious  fervor  is  a  powerful  agent  in  bringing  about  the 
practice  of  virtue  and  the  avoidance  of  sin.  The  ceremonies  and 
forms  most  calculated  to  produce  the  desired  end  have  every 
where  been  adopted,  and  as  different  people  require  different  rites, 
ceremonies  and  forms  to  make  them  fervid  with  virtuous  desire, 
different  forms  of  religion  have  arisen  in  different  portions  of 
the  globe.  The  Oriental  people  require  peculiar  forms,  etc.,  which 
are  supplied  by  Buddhism  and  Mohammedanism.  Europe  is  sup 
plied  by  the  various  forms  of  Christianity.  As  times  change  and 
the  world  advances  or  retrogrades,  changes  are  necessary  in  cere 
monies,  rites,  etc.,  hence  the  importance  in  every  church  of  an 
hierarchy,  whence  may  be  derived  authority  for  such  modifica 
tions  as  are  required.  In  the  absence  of  such  government  con 
fusion  must  predominate,  and  chaos  will  supervene.  Instance  the 
Christian  churches.  Under  Rome  and  the  Czar  there  is  uniform 
ity  in  two  of  the  branches,  but  the  departure  inaugurated  by 
Luther  and  Calvin  has  bred  a  multitude  of  churches  having  little 
in  common  but  their  origin  and  the  essentials  of  their  creeds.  It 
is  said  that  churches  breed  half  the  world's  troubles.  This  is  a 
mistake.  It  is  the  difference  among  churches  that  gives  rise  to 
contention — not  their  existence.  Were  there  but  one  church  it 
would  doubtless  be  corrupt  in  its  ministers,  but  it  could  not  be 
bellicose.  A  multitude  of  churches  insures  a  clean  ministry  and 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  22Q 

a  belligerent  spirit.  What  is  the  proper  mean  between  these 
extremes,  is  not  my  province  to  discuss.  What  I  am  leading  to  is 
the  proposition  that  a  multitude  of  churches  to  practice  the  same 
creed  under  different  forms,  engender  such  confusion,  contention 
and  strife  that  the  creed  itself  is  in  danger.  Thus  children  in 
contending  for  a  toy  nearly  always  destroy  the  subject  matter  of 
controversy  before  the  title  is  established. 

Forms  of  religion  must  change  with  men  and  conditions.  The 
forms  of  Judaism  are  no  exception.  I  am  not  opposed  to  the  con 
servative  and  gradual  alteration  of  ceremonies  that  should  fall, 
as  many  have  fallen,  into  desuetude ;  but  reform  does  not  mean 
revolution.  In  trimming  off  unnecessary  foliage  from  our  church 
tree,  let  us  guard  against  hacking  down  the  tree  itself.  We  have 
no  real  hierarchy,  and  may  be  said  to  have  had  none  since  the 
Sanhedrin — consequently  the  "reforms"  are  not  uniform.  The 
result  could  be  easily  forecast  were  it  not  already  foregone. 
Each  Jewish  minister  is  a  free-lance,  and  each  is  ambitious  to 
originate  something  new,  an  achievement  that  he  thinks  is  accom 
plished  by  destroying  something  old.  They  are  fettered  by  noth 
ing  but  traditions  and  each  has  his  pruning-knife  whetted  anx 
ious  to  cut  off  a  more  substantial  limb  than  his  neighbor.  The 
fashion  is  little  over  a  quarter  century  old  in  America  and  the 
poor  old  tree  is  so  bare  of  limbs  and  foliage  already  that  it  is 
scarcely  recognizable.  When  I  see  the  work  of  such  men  as 
Felix  Adler  I  am  reminded  of  the  similarity  between  them  and 
Gloster,  who  thought  that: 

"The  aspiring  youth  who  fired  the  Ephesian  dome 
Outlives  the  pious  fool  who  reared  it." 

Can  we  do  nothing  to  stop  this  desecration  ?  Can  we  not  fetter 
the  inconoclasm  of  these  ruthless  destroyers? 

Lord  Bacon,  in  his  essay  on  Innovation  says,  "It  is  good  also 
not  to  try  experiments  except  the  necessity  be  urgent  or  the  util 
ity  evident;  and  well  to  beware  that  it  be  the  reformation  that 
draweth  on  the  change,  and  not  the  desire  of  change  that  pre- 
tendeth  the  reformation,  and  lastly,  that  the  novelty,  though  it  be 


23O  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

not  rejected,  yet  be  held  for  a  suspect,  and  as  the  Scripture 
sayeth,  'That  we  make  a  stand  upon  the  ancient  way  and  then 
look  about  us  and  discover  what  is  the  straight  and  right  way 
and  so  to  walk  in  it.'  " 

Let  us  pause  for  a  while  and  consider  the  present  indifference 
to  the  forms  and  ceremonies  of  our  religion  in  its  relations  to 
the  righteous  conduct  of  the  people.  The  present  reform  move 
ment  as  expounded  by  its  leaders,  is  an  effort  to  reduce  religion 
to  a  rational  basis,  and  to  reject  everything  that  cannot  be  recon 
ciled  with  the  understanding  of  its  adherents.  In  the  nature  of 
things  a  platform  so  narrow  affords  no  room  for  traditional  cus 
toms,  forms  and  ceremonies,  nor  does  it  extend  a  habitat  for  the 
miracles  narrated  in  the  Scriptures.  That  this  reform  move 
ment  must  eventuate  in  a  failue,  seems  to  my  mind  so  clear  that  it 
requires  but  little  argument  to  show  it.  Were  the  movement  of 
an  intelligent  and  conservative  character,  directed  to  eliminating 
and  altering  some  of  the  obsolete  and  ineffective  forms  of  our 
worship,  and  were  it  the  result  of  a  desire  common  to  the  mass 
of  the  people,  the  success  of  it  would  be  immediate  and  its  course 
unaffected  by  anything  in  the  nature  of  revolution.  But  an  effort 
to  rationalize  religion  is  an  absurdity  upon  its  face.  The  very 
phrase,  "A  rational  religion,"  as  interpreted  by  those  who  coined 
it,  involves  a  contradiction  of  terms.  A  creed  formulated  for  the 
government  of  the  world  in  its  moral  aspect,  which  is  not  based 
either  in  revelation  or  tradition,  can  have  no  firm  foundation. 
Reason  is  neither  deep  enough  nor  broad  enough  to  support  a 
structure  of  such  towering  height  and  such  ponderous  weight. 
The  decalogue  is  conceded  to  be  the  best  moral  code  ever  yet 
promulgated  for  the  government  of  the  world,  and  so-called  ra 
tionalists  uphold  and  maintain  every  syllable  contained  in  that 
wonderful  revelation.  If  the  divine  character  of  the  commands 
be  disputed,  but  the  truth  and  worth  of  them  maintained,  it  be 
hooves  the  rationalists  to  furnish  an  affirmative  argument  in 
favor  of  each  of  said  commands.  Can  this  be  done?  Is  it  pos 
sible  to  establish  by  pure  logic,  and  from  premises  which  re 
quire  no  resort  to  tradition  or  revelation,  the  truth  of  any  sen 
tence  in  the  decalogue?  It  is  a  startling  challenge,  and  yet  I 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  23! 

make  it  without  fear  of  a  satisfactory  reply,  that  it  is  impossible 
by  mere  argument,  independent  of  the  Scriptures  or  tradition, 
to  establish  the  correctness  of  any  law  laid  down  in  the  com 
mandments. 

For  example,  what  will  the  rationalist  say  in  support  of  the 
command  "Thou  shalt  not  kill  ?"  Where  will  he  find  the  premise 
upon  which  to  base  a  train  of  reasoning  leading  to  such  a  con 
clusion?  Will  he  find  it  in  the  nature  of  man?  Will  he  find  it 
in  the  course  of  nature  that  surrounds  and  environs  mankind? 
Will  he  find  it  in  the  animal  instincts  which  observation  teaches 
him  exist  in  the  human  organism?  Will  he  find  it  by  analogy 
from  the  brute  creation?  Most  assuredly  not. 

If  he  lowers  his  gaze  from  the  skies  and  looks  about  him  and 
at  his  feet,  he  will  find  nothing  to  warrant  the  interdict  against 
homicide.    He  will  find  that  the  animals  prey  upon  one  another, 
that  the  birds  of  the  air  and  the  fish  of  the  sea  prey  upon  one 
another;  he  will  find  that  man  in  his  primitive  natural   state 
engages  in  almost  ceaseless  warfare  against  his  kind ;  that  might 
is  recognized  as  the  only  standard  of  right;  that  there  exists  no 
conscience  in  the  savage  which  gives  rise  to  remorse  because  of 
the  slaughter  of  a  fellow  being.     Nay,  more,  he  finds  that  the 
savage  satisfies  his  hunger  by  using  the  corpse  of  his  human  vic 
tim  as  his  daily  food.    If  he  argues  that  the  institution  of  society 
cannot  exist  if  homicide  be  permissible,  the  reply  comes  swift 
to  the  surface,  that  society  supervenes  the  nature  of  man  and  is 
the  creature  of  mankind,  not  man  the  creature  of  society,  and  if 
society  requires  an  absolute  change  in  the  nature  of  man  in  order 
to  render  its  existence  possible,  then  is  society  falsely  based. 
Again,  what  argument  is  offered  by  anything  in  nature  in  favor 
of  the  right  of  property  and  in  support  of  the  interdict  against 
theft?     Do  we  not  find  that  the  animals  seize  what  they  have 
the  power  to  take,  and  retain  what  they  have  the  power  to  hold? 
Is  not  this  true  of  the  birds  and  of  the  fishes?    Is  it  not  true  of 
man  in  his  primitive  and  natural  state?     Is  it  not  true,  even 
according  to  the  theory  of  the  evolutionist,  that  the  fittest  sur 
vive  because  of  their  fitness,  and  because  by  reason  of  their  fit 
ness  they  are  able  to  enjoy  those  things  which  are  necessary  to 


232  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

sustenance,  and  thus  are  the  unfit  deprived  of  them.  Nature  pre 
sents  a  continual  round  of  thefts  justified  apparently  by  the  di 
vine  economy.  It  is  only  man  who  is  forbidden  to  steal,  and  why 
this  distinction  if  it  be  not  founded  upon  some  broader  and 
deeper  basis  than  mere  reason.  I  might  go  through  with  all  of 
the  commandments  and  show  that  none  of  them  can  be  sustained 
upon  mere  and  purely  logical  grounds. 

Surely  a  religion  can  have  but  little  claim  for  respect  if  it 
denies  the  divine  character  of  the  decalogue  and  yet  fails  to  es 
tablish  the  commandments  upon  some  other  basis  than  that  fur 
nished  by  the  Scriptures. 

The  new  school  further  maintains  that  the  practice  of  mere 
forms  and  ceremonies  is  neither  essential  to  salvation,  nor  to  the 
practice  of  morality  and  hence  it  is  permissible  to  abrogate  all 
forms  and  ceremonies  that  do  not  consist  with  contemporary 
ideas.  I  propose  to  consider  this  proposition,  for  it  involves  an 
error  that  has  become  exceedingly  popular.  I  copy  here  some 
reflections  upon  this  matter  prepared  at  another  time  and  which 
were  delivered  in  a  public  lecture. 

"Religion,  in  its  generic  sense,  has  been  defined  as  the  recog 
nition  of  God,  as  an  object  of  worship,  love  and  obedience.  With 
out  regard  to  differences  in  creeds,  a  system  of  devotion  which 
fulfils  the  conditons  of  the  definiton  may  be  termed  a  religion — 
and  without  regard  to  incidental  errors  in  the  system,  if  it  be 
based  upon  a  recognition  of  one  God,  as  the  fountain  of  exist 
ence  and  authority  and  the  object  of  adoration,  love  and  obe 
dience,  to  that  extent  the  particular  religion  is  true.  The  object 
of  every  religion  should  be  to  elevate  the  morality  and  thus  in 
sure  the  happiness  of  its  devotees.  To  this  end  all  other  aims 
must  become  subservient,  as  they  are  naturally  subordinate  and 
incidental.  Religion  considered  as  a  means  to  the  attainment  of 
a  pure  life  is  divisible  into  two  main  aspects — to-wit:  faith 
and  practice.  Faith  deals  with  matters  existent,  and  upon  it  is 
predicated  rules  of  human  conduct.  Practice  is  the  conduct  regu 
lated  by  the  rules  derived  from  faith. 

The  recognition  of  God  as  an  object  of  worship,  love  and  obe 
dience  and  as  the  fountain  of  existence  and  authority  to  which 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  233 

we  are  accountable  is  matter  of  faith — and  he  who  makes  such 
recognition  possesses  religion  to  that  extent.  Such  faith,  how 
ever,  may  be  conceived  as  coexistent  in  the  same  individual,  with 
the  most  immoral  practices.  Whenever,  in  fact,  a  wilful  wrong 
is  committed,  we  have  an  exhibition  of  practice  which  is  at  va 
riance  with  faith.  Morality  may  possibly  be  practiced  without 
faith  in  those  matters  which  constitute  religion  proper,  although 
no  system  of  practical  morality  could  be  founded  without  refer 
ence  to  some  supernatural  and  final  authority.  The  inquiry  is 
not  so  practically  important  as  the  manner  and  means  of  prac 
ticing  morality.  The  vast  majority  of  mankind  possess  religion 
pure  and  proper.  That  is  to  say  they  recognize  God  as  an  object 
or  worship,  love  and  obedience,  and  as  the  source  of  all  existence 
and  authority.  It  is  equally  true  that  the  great  majority  of  those 
possessing  this  religion  desire  to  practice  morality.  At  this  point, 
however,  the  ground  ceases  to  be  common  and  the  roads  fork 
in  a  thousand  different  directions. 

There  are  those  who  claim  that  not  only  is  faith  an  essential 
in  the  scheme  of  salvation,  but  that  the  practice  of  forms  and 
ceremonies  are  indispensable  either  to  morality  on  earth  or  safety 
hereafter.  This  class  embraces  all  of  those  who,  claiming  truth 
in  faith  and  practice  for  themselves,  consign  all  others  to  perdi 
tion. 

There  are  those  who  believe  that  practical  morality  is  neces 
sarily  based  upon  religion  as  already  defined,  and  that  when 
morality  thus  founded  and  derived  is  attained,  the  essential  obli 
gations  of  life,  have  been  complied  with.  This,  as  I  understand  it, 
is  the  essence  of  Judaism  as  a  religion.  To  characterize  Judaism 
by  reference  to  its  peculiar  forms  and  practices  rather  than  by 
the  essentials  just  named,  is  to  confound  a  name  used  in  classifi 
cation,  with  the  very  substance  itself. 

Such  an  analysis  of  Judaism — the  reduction  of  it  as  it  were 
to  its  elements — has  not  always  been  and  is  not  productive  of 
unmixed  good.  False  logic  leads  as  often  to  error  when  the 
premises  are  true  as  when  they  are  incorrect.  Since  pure  Judaism 
does  not  make  mere  matters  of  form  and  ceremony — mere  rites 
and  rituals — essential  to  salvation,  the  hasty  reasoner  concludes 


234  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

that  he  may  abandon  them  without  peril  either  to  the  happiness 
of  his  existence  in  the  unknown  hereafter,  or  to  the  morality  of 
his  conduct  in  this  earthly  span  of  life.  It  is  to  this  not  un 
popular — this  plausible  and  dangerous  fallacy  that  I  desire  to 
especially  direct  attention. 

It  may  be  conceded  for  the  sake  of  argument,  if  demanded, 
that  a  man  whose  thoughts  are  always  pure  and  whose  feelings 
are  always  natural  and  noble  and  whose  deeds  are  always  good 
and  who  believes  in  Monotheism  attains  to  the  highest  aims 
of  Judaism,  without  reference  to  whether  he  complies  or  not 
with  mere  matters  of  church  discipline  or  practices  the  forms 
and  ceremonies  which  serve  in  a  measure  to  distinguish  the  pro 
fessors  of  Judaism,  from  the  members  of  other  churches.  Such 
a  concession  might  perhaps  be  demanded,  as  a  logical  issue  of 
the  Judaistic  scheme. 

But  it  is  the  boldest  error  to  assume  because  of  such  a  base 
possibility,  that  no  convincing  reason  remains  for  the  preserva 
tion  and  practice  of  rites  and  ceremonies.  Man  is  a  complex 
organization.  He  is  both  animal  and  spiritual.  He  is  both  ra 
tional  and  emotional.  He  acquires  knowledge,  both  by  intuition 
and  by  induction.  He  has  desires  that  spring  from  calculation 
and  from  mere  sensation.  He  is  impressionable  both  by  in 
fluences  that  would  affect  natures  purely  animal  and  by  those 
that  would  move  natures  purely  spiritual.  His  conduct  is  actuated 
by  mere  feeling,  emotion  and  impulse,  or  by  deliberate  design 
founded  on  ratiocination.  In  dealing  with  such  a  complicated 
organization  all  its  parts  must  be  considered.  If  men  were  free 
from  all  animal  qualities  they  could  be  governed  without  any 
systematized  code  of  laws  other  than  would  be  furnished  by 
or  evolved  out  of  their  very  constitution.  If  they  were  purely 
animals,  they  could  be  controlled  solely  by  their  appetites  and 
their  fears. 

Every  well  regulated  system  of  civil  government  recognizes 
and  provides  for  the  phenomena  due  to  this  dual  nature  of  man. 
A  code  of  human  laws  that  treats  of  men  as  mere  brutes  inevita 
bly  leads  to  revolution,  because  it  is  unbearably  cruel;  the  code 
that  regards  them  as  angels  results  in  anarchy,  because  it  is 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  235 

wanting  in  the  strength  requisite  for  order.  A  pure  despotism 
is  only  possible  where  the  people  have  not  reached  to  the  full 
stature  of  manhood ;  Utopia  is  only  possible  when  the  people  have 
risen  above  it. 

To  commit  murder  is  a  crime.  It  is  a  crime  whether  for 
bidden  by  the  law  of  the  land  or  not  and  being  thus  forbidden 
does  not  make  it  more  a  crime.  Every  well  balanced  mind  will 
admit  so  simple  a  proposition.  If  then  it  be  regarded  by  all  as  a 
crime,  why  forbid  it?  Or  to  go  a  step  further,  why  interdict  the 
carrying  of  concealed  weapons?  The  answer  is  simple  enough. 
Man  has  that  element  in  his  nature  which  makes  it  unsafe  to 
rely  solely  upon  his  knowledge  of  the  right  and  his  desire  to 
practice  it.  His  conduct  must  necessarily  be  goverened  in  great 
measure  by  his  feelings. 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  enhance  without  warrant,  the  dignity 
of  the  emotional  part  of  our  nature,  but  I  should  be  blind  rf  I 
did  not  recognize  that  when  all  is  said  and  done,  the  world  is 
governed,  careers  are  made  or  blasted,  happiness  is  secured  or 
lost,  mainly  by  the  emotions  of  men. 

The  greatest  events  of  history  have  been  and  always  will  be 
the  result  of  sentiment.  No  amount  of  education  can  eradicate 
from  human  nature,  the  potent  influence  of  the  heart  as  contra 
distinguished  from  the  mind.  No  man  is  above  it.  When  in  the 
history  of  Rasselas  we  read  of  the  sage  who  claims  that  he  has 
found  happiness  in  the  elimination  from  his  nature  of  all  emotion, 
we  discover  an  appropriate  anti-climax  in  his  grief  over  the  death 
of  his  child.  Nothing  illustrates  the  proposition  better  than  the 
death  of  one  that  is  near  and  dear.  Are  you  a  philosopher  who 
reasons  that  since  death  is  inevitable,  grief  is  unwise  and  un 
manly?  Have  you  steeled  yourself  against  the  heartaches  that 
weaklings  feel  when  the  grim  destroyer  stands  at  the  bedside  of 
their  beloved  ones?  If  so  carry  your  philosophy  always  with 
you.  Take  it  to  the  cradle  of  your  expiring  child.  Watch  its 
fluttering  pulse  and  dying  gasps,  close  the  eyelids  in  their  last 
long  sleep,  compose  the  rigid  little  limbs  and  turn  away.  In  such 
a  moment  can  the  shield  of  philosophy  keep  from  your  breast 


236  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

the  shafts  of  anguish  ?  Believe  it  not.  The  bosom  will  shake  and 
the  tears  will  fall,  none  the  less  freely  because  in  vain. 

And  will  you  say  that  such  experiences  are  unproductive  of 
results  on  human  conduct  ?  Is  there  a  man  so  constituted  as  to  be 
impervious  to  feeling?  One  whose  breast  is  unmoved  by  grief 
or  joy,  by  love,  admiration,  awe  or  adoration?  Search  the  wide 
world  over  and  there  is  not  one.  The  great  painters  of  human 
nature  all  move  their  characters  by  their  feelings.  To  substitute 
any  other  motive  power  would  be  infidelity  to  nature. 

But  feelings  do  not  operate  on  the  abstract.  They  must  be 
in  contact  with  the  objects  upon  which  they  are  exercised  or  they 
will  not  respond.  They  must  be  moved  by  some  influence  before 
they  in  turn  give  direction  to  human  conduct.  It  requires  no 
argument  to  demonstrate  that  if  the  emotions  are  improperly 
moved,  they  will  operate  in  the  wrong  direction  and  thus  effect 
uate  a  positive  wrong.  And  further  that  if  not  properly  aroused 
they  will  become  dormant  and  thus  omit  the  performance  of  what 
is  right.  Consequently  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  every  indi 
vidual  who  desires  to  practice  morality,  should  always  seek  to 
subject  his  feelings  to  proper  and  to  shield  them  from  evil  in 
fluences.  And  the  most  boastful  of  those  who  claim  that  they 
are  capable  of  doing  the  right  without  extraneous  influence,  are 
daily  governed  by  influences  that  proceed  from  without.  Let 
me  illustrate.  Take  a  man  who  claims  that  he  knows  what  is 
right  and  that  he  always  does  it  without  pressure  of  any  kind. 
Such  a  man  will  surely  admit  that  such  charity  as  he  is  able  to 
dispense,  is  a  duty.  Go  to  him  dressed  in  purple  and  fine  linen 
and  solicit  money  for  a  family  of  starving  children.  Perchance 
his  heart  will  not  beat  a  throb  faster  as  he  mechanically  gives 
you  a  contribution  and  when  you  have  left  him  the  subject 
passes  from  his  mind.  Yet  this  man  has  done  a  charity.  Now, 
if  you  can,  lead  this  man  to  the  hovel  to  see  the  pale  faced,  hol- 
lowed-eyed  little  ones.  Let  him  hear  their  piteous  cries.  Bring 
him  face  to  face  with  the  misery  and  behold  the  change.  The 
heart  beats  high  in  his  breast;  his  eye  dim  and  with  a  feeling 
of  intense  gratification  he  relieves  the  sufferers.  This,  too,  is 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  237 

only  a  charity,  but  it  is  as  much  purer  than  the  first,  as  a  living 
rose  is  purer  than  a  painted  counterfeit. 

And  thus  in  our  everyday  life  we  are  governed  by  subtle  in 
fluences  which  we  cannot  see,  but  which  impel  us  to  evil  or  lead 
us  to  good.  The  play,  the  opera,  the  books  we  read,  the  conver 
sations  we  engage  in,  the  company  we  keep,  the  landscape  we 
see,  the  very  air  we  breathe  all  move  us  to  become  better  or 
worse.  Nothing  is  so  potent  for  good  as  devotion.  Voltaire, 
who  scoffed  at  all  religion,  recognized  the  good  influence  of 
churches.  The  very  thought  that  in  our  devotions,  we  design  to 
cast  off  all  evil  considerations  and  bend  our  minds  and  hearts 
to  the  contemplation  of  all  that  is  true,  beautiful  and  good  in 
God's  creation  works  upon  the  dormant  elements  of  our  natures, 
as  the  sun  does  upon  the  buried  seed.  The  strains  of  solemn 
music,  the  pure  sentiments  that  emanate  fom  the  pulpit,  elevate 
the  spirit  and  strengthen  the  determination  to  practice  what  we 
believe.  The  prayers  we  utter  and  that  we  hear  our  children 
breathe,  the  traditional  feasts  and  fasts  of  our  people,  made  holy 
as  it  were  by  their  hoary  antiquity  lead  us  up  to  the  consideration 
of  duties  that  we  would  otherwise  ignore.  It  is  not  that  the 
chanting  of  a  hymn  or  the  uttering  of  a  formal  prayer  will  of 
themselves  make  us  good  and  pure ;  but  the  music  and  the  prayer, 
the  festival  and  fast  cause  us  to  think  of  higher  and  better 
things  and  thus  elevate  our  natures.  It  follows  that  the  practice 
of  forms  of  religion  becomes  influential  in  the  ratio  of  the  at 
tention  with  which  the  forms  are  observed.  When  the  mind  and 
heart  are  bent  to  consider  why  and  wherefore  certain  forms  are 
carried  out  and  what  they  are  designed  to  symbolize,  we  then 
rise  from  the  concrete  to  the  abstract,  and  are  enabled  to  think 
of  the  purely  spiritual  by  means  of  what  is  tangible  or  visible. 
The  mind  is  unequal  to  pure  abstract  truth.  Who  can  think  of 
charity,  without  also  thinking  of  an  object  upon  whom  or  which 
it  is  to  be  bestowed  ?  Who  can  think  of  filial  duty  without  at  the 
same  time  thinking  of  parent  and  child?  We  only  rise  to  the 
contemplation  of  human  virtues  by  the  contemplation  of  their 
manifestations.  Thus  the  greatest  teachers  of  morality  taught 
by  parables. 


238  LEO  N.  LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

When  the  attention  does  not  become  fixed,  the  practice  loses 
much,  but  not  all  of  its  virtue.  Attention  is  one  thing;  inten 
tion  is  another.  In  the  illustrations  already  cited  of  the  two  as 
pects  of  a  charity  we  can  see  the  distinction.  In  one  aspect  there 
was  a  formal  and  I  might  say  unfeeling  contribution.  Here  was 
a  want  of  attention.  In  the  other  instance  the  relief  was  given 
with  a  compassionate  tear  and  a  tender  heart.  Here  was  both  at 
tention  and  intention.  Yet  while  there  is  a  difference  in  degree 
of  merit,  both  acts  were  good.  So  in  the  observance  of  forms  of 
religion.  Let  us  take  the  Day  of  Atonement  for  the  sake  of  il 
lustration.  It  is  common  to  hear  men  say  that  they  have  no 
faith  in  the  efficacy  of  fasting.  That  it  is  nonsense  to  suppose 
that  abstinence  from  food  and  drink  for  twenty-four  hours  can 
clear  them  of  sin.  Hence  they  do  not  fast.  But  they  do  not 
stop  here.  Since  they  do  not  fast,  they  deem  it  manly  and  coura 
geous  to  boast  of  the  fact  that  they  do  not  observe  the  holiday 
in  that  respect.  Such  hardihood  naturally  leads  to  abstinence 
from  the  prayers  appropriate  to  the  solemn  day.  The  prayer 
book  remains  closed  and  perhaps  even  the  synagogue  is  not  at 
tended.  The  next  step  is  the  pursuit  of  his  usual  occupation, 
and  lo !  what  started  out  to  be  a  simple  denial  of  the  efficacy  of 
fasting  winds  up  in  a  practical  denial  of  the  doctrine  of  penitence. 
And  such  a  man  claims  to  believe  in  God  and  would  resent  as  an 
insult  the  slightest  imputation  upon  his  desire  to  be  moral.  He 
boasts  that  he  can  be  and  is  moral  without  such  trumpery  prac 
tice.  He  does  not  keep  any  holiday  because,  as  he  argues,  if  I  do 
not  keep  Kippur  day  it  would  be  hypocrisy  to  keep  any  other 
holy.  Finally  he  eschews  all  religion  and  allows  his  moral  nature 
to  depend  upon  his  own  boasted  understanding  and  the  chance 
influences  of  everyday  life.  And  perhaps  he  grows  and  thrives. 
But  may  it  not  be  said  that  his  is  the  growth  and  thrift  of  the 
weed  that  flourishes  in  marshy  ground  and  deadly  atmosphere, 
while  the  flower  requires  constant  attention  to  develop  its  perfec 
tion? 

I  pity  the  creature  that  is  unable  to  think  of  his  sins  with 
sorrow.  I  pity  the  creature  who  is  unwilling  to  compel  his  mind 
and  heart  to  contemplate  his  own  shortcomings  and  who  to  that 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  239 

end  will  not  sacrifice  a  physical  comfort.  There  is  no  Jew  who 
does  not  understand  the  significance  of  the  Kippur  day.  Every 
Jewish  child  knows  what  it  means.  It  is  only  the  stiff-necked 
fool  who  predicates  an  argument  upon  the  intrinsic  virtue  of  fast 
ing.  He  knows  in  his  own  heart  that  no  saving  power  is  attribu 
ted  to  mere  abstinence  from  food  and  drink.  He  knows  that  the 
day  is  set  apart  for  the  contemplation  and  reparation  of  the 
wrongs  we  have  done,  to  consider  our  sins,  to  repent  of  them 
and  to  make  resolution  for  a  better  life.  He  knows  as  you  and  I 
and  all  of  us  know  that  fasting  is  merely  an  incident.  That  it  is 
a  means  of  bending  our  minds  to  holy  thoughts.  That  by  the 
abjuration  of  physical  comforts  we  symbolize  our  design  and 
desire  to  minify  the  animal  and  magnify  the  spiritual  in  our  na 
ture.  Is  it  not  a  notable  thing  to  do  ?  Is  it  not  beautiful  to  con 
template  that  on  that  day  throughout  the  world  nearly  six  mil 
lion  Jews  have  turned  their  backs  on  all  worldly  matters.  That 
they  are  contemplating  their  sins  and  repenting,  that  enmities 
cease,  reconciliations  are  effected,  forgiveness  extended  and  re 
venge  abandoned?  Let  me  not  be  understood  as  claiming  that 
all  who  fast  and  pray  become  good  thereby.  Perhaps  on  the  mor 
row  the  carnival  of  sin  will  with  many  begin  a  new  career.  But 
who  can  measure  the  good  that  penitence  does  even  among  the 
depraved — and  who  shall  say  that  many  are  not  altogether  led  to 
higher  and  better  things  by  the  contemplation  amidst  such  solem 
nity  of  their  own  corrupt  past. 

"I  hold  it  truth,  with  him  who- sings, 
To  one  clear  harp  in  divers  tones, 
That  men  may  rise  on  stepping  stones 
Of  their  dead  selves  to  higher  things." 

And  there  is  virtue  in  the  mere  intention  to  observe  this  day. 
Though  the  poor  sinner  may  not  be  able  to  bring  his  lips  to 
prayer,  or  his  tongue  to  the  utterance  of  penitence,  yet  by  sub 
jecting  himself  to  the  discomforts  or  sufferings  of  abstinence  he 
evidences  an  intention  to  observe  the  traditions  of  his  fathers,  to 
observe  his  religion,  to  worship  his  God,  to  atone  for 'his  sins. 


240  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

And  such  an  intention  thus  expressed,  though  coupled  with  no 
attention  to  the  true  spirit  of  the  occasion,  elevates  the  man  to  as 
high  a  level  as  he  can  reach,  and  in  the  end  he  perchance  will 
learn  the  nobler  lesson  of  spiritual  penance  and  devotion. 

The  forms  and  ceremonies  of  religion  necessarily  change  with 
times  and  conditions  of  life.  But  while  they  obtain  they  should 
be  observed  and  practiced ;  for  a  disregard  of  form  and  cere 
mony  inevitably  leads  to  a  disregard  of  substance,  and  the  ob 
servance  of  them  naturally  leads  to  the  contemplation  of  the 
morality  which  they  teach  and  which  we  are  thus  reminded  to 
practice. 

A  flag  flying' at  the  masthead  of  a  ship  is  only  a  piece  of  rag 
unworthy  in  itself  of  a  serious  thought ;  but  when  that  ship  is  an 
American  vessel  and  the  flag  our  national  banner,  we  would 
guard  the  worthless  rag  with  our  lives,  our  fortunes  and  our  sacred 
honor.  The  flag  is  our  emblem  and  love  for  it  and  the  protec 
tion  we  gh?e  it,  is  the  form  in  which  we  practice  our  patriotism. 
So  long  as  we  guard  it  from  insult  our  nation  is  safe  from  foreign 
aggression ;  let  us  become  indifferent  to  its  fate  because  it  is  only 
a  piece  of  bunting  and  how  long  would  it  be  before  the  tread  of 
a  foreign  foe  would  echo  in  the  National  Capitol? 

These  fasts  and  festivals,  rites  and  ceremonies  are  the  means 
of  attaining  the  practice  of  morality.  They  serve  that  end  and 
as  we  love  the  end  they  serve,  we  should  honor  and  observe  the 
means  by  which  we  accomplish  that  end.  The  man  who  irrever 
ently  boasts  of  his  diregard  of  them  may  attain  the  reputation  of 
strong-mindedness  among  the  weak  and  indifferent,  but  in  the 
eyes  of  all  good  men,  Jew  and  Gentile,  and  in  the  eyes  of  God,  he 
is  like  unto  the  traitor  who  would  drag  his  country's  flag  in  the 
dust,  to  show  how  little  he  cares  for  a  mere  rag." 

It  is  necessary  to  meet  and  overcome  the  desecrating  spirit 
of  those  who  lay  their  ruthless  hands  upon  everything  that  is 
sacred  in  our  history  and  our  religion. 

Already  the  conservative  Jews  are  drawing  back  in  alarm. 
They  recognize  that  we  are  no  longer  inspired  with  noble 
thoughts  and  virtuous  resolves  by  our  religious  gatherings. 
The  cold  sermons  and  classic  concerts  that  distinguish  the  Amer- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  24! 

ican  synagogues  arouse  no  religious  fervor,  and  our  children,  too 
consistent  to  attend  other  churches  and  repelled  by  our  own, 
are  growing  up  in  ignorance  not  only  of  Jewish  ceremonies  but 
also  of  Jewish  faith.  It  will  not  do  to  say  that  if  the  principles 
be  practical  no  forms  need  be  followed.  It  is  true  that  the  lat 
ter  are  secondary  to  the  former,  just  as  garments  are  secondary 
to  the  persons  they  protect  and  adorn,  but  abolish  the  forms  or 
cast  away  the  garments  and  the  principles  and  persons  to  which 
they  are  secondary  will  freeze  to  death.  Civilization  and  en 
lightenment  do  not  make  us  superior  to  the  aid  of  enthusiasm 
in  the  practice  of  virtue.  The  French  logicians,  claim  to  formu 
late  a  complete  code  of  moral  laws  without  the  assistance  of 
religion,  but  even  the  cynical  Voltaire  confessed  that  "if  we  had 
no  churches  we  must  needs  build  them."  We  can  not  live  in  the 
rare  atmosphere  of  pure  thought.  We  must  have  the  oxygen 
and  nitrogen  of  feeling  or  we  expire.  We  have  advanced  in 
many  things,  but  in  morals  we  are  the  same  as  ever.  We  live, 
we  sin,  we  suffer,  repent  and  die,  and  so  it  will  be  to  the  end. 
I  lose  patience  with  the  shallow  fools  who  boast  of  "our  nine 
teenth  century  civilization"  as  doing  away  with  the  ' 'super 
stitions  of  religion."  In  what  have  we  become  civilized?  It  is 
true  we  have  perfected  all  kinds  of  machinery,  we  have  facil 
itated  commerce  by  rapid  transportation  and  communication, 
etc.,  ad  libitum,  but  is  crime  less  frequent,  are  wars  less  bloody, 
sufferings  less  acute,  misery  less  prominent  and  universal?  Oh, 
shame  to  the  boaster,  when  it  is  remembered  that  to-day  there  are 
millions  who  are  persecuting  the  Jews  in  civilized  Europe.  Shame 
to  the  boast  that  ignores  the  Tisza-Ezlar  trial!  Shame  to  the 
boast  that  is  flaunted  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  see  nihilism  and 
socialism  honeycombing  the  social  structure  of  all  Europe. 

We  are  not  and  never  will  be  above  the  need  of  religion. 
It  controls  us  in  spite  of  our  reasoning  powers,  however  pro 
found  we  may  be.  The  greatest  thinkers  have  been  ruled 
through  their  feelings.  The  delicate  touch  of  a  woman's  hair 
has  changed  the  fate  of  nations  by  influencing  the  heart  of  the 
greatest  and  most  powerful  men.  Shall  it  be  said  then  that  we 
are  not  amenable  to  the  influence  of  the  solemn  yet  sweet  sur- 


242  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

roundings  of  the  temples  where  we  unite  in  prayer  to  Israel's 
God.  The  veriest  unbeliever  can  not  remain  unaffected  amid 
such  influences,  and  though  he  scoffs  at  our  God,  he  will  be 
swifter  because  of  those  influences  to  worship  God  by  his  deeds. 

We  must  perpetuate  our  religion.  To  perpetuate  it  we  must 
stop  this  wholesale  and  indiscriminate  desecration  of  its  forms. 
It  is  much  easier,  however,  to  point  out  evils  than  to  prescribe 
remedies.  It  is  easy  to  say  what  should  not  be  done,  but  ex 
tremely  difficult  to  indicate  what  should  be  done.  I  venture, 
however,  to  make  some  suggestions  here  which  occur  to  me  as 
being  the  solution  of  the  problem  presented  by  the  apparent  or 
real  conflict  between  some  of  our  forms  and  practices,  and  the 
remarkable  progress  of  our  present  age. 

As  has  already  been  remarked,  mere  forms  and  ceremonies, 
not  being  essential  to  salvation,  and  being  after  all  merely  the, 
means  by  which  the  human  heart  or  soul  is  brought  to  the  recog 
nition  of  its  duties,  these. forms  and  practices  are  the  proper  sub 
ject  of  change  whenever  such  change  becomes  necessary  in 
order  to  effectuate  the  true  objects  for  which  the  forms  and 
practices  were  instituted.  The  experience  of  the  world  proves 
beyond  any  question  that  they  cannot  be  entirely  dispensed 
with.  I  do  not  propose  to  engage  any  further  in  the  discussion 
of  that  proposition. 

Forms  and  ceremonies  must  naturally  change,  but  how,  and 
when,  and  by  what  authority?  Is  it  not  best  to  follow  the 
scriptural  injunction,  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,  stand  ye  in  the  ways 
and  see  and  ask  for  the  old  paths  where  is  the  good  way,  and 
walk  therein  and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  souls." — Jer.  vi,  16. 

Changes  should  be  made  only  in  deference  to  a  universal  de 
mand  and  only  because  the  old  forms  by  reason  of  adventitious 
circumstances  have  ceased  to  be  effective,  but  no  one  should 
arrogate  to  himself  the  right  to  determine  when  the  emergency 
exists  for  the  inauguration  of  such  a  change.  Innovations 
should  always  be  made  with  the  greatest  circumspection.  It  is 
often  better  to  endure  the  evils  that  we  are  accustomed  to  than 
by  precipitation  engage  in  some  novelty  that  perhaps  will  end 
in  greater  embarrassment  than  that  sought  to  be  escaped.  To 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  243 

make  intelligent  and  conservative  changes  in  our  rituals,  in  our 
eeremonies  and  our  rites,  it  should  be  recognized  as  necessary, 
first,  to  have  a  consensus  of  opinions  that  such  a  change  as  is 
proposed  is  not  only  expedient,  but  requisite,  and,  second,  that 
such  changes  be  made  by  some  recognized  authority.  Such  an 
authority  is  a  necessity  both  to  ascertain  what  is  necessary  and 
to  determine  how  such  necessities  may  be  provided  for.  Where 
and  how  shall  such  an  authority  be  created?  In  Germany  and 
France,  as  has  been  remarked  before,  there  is  something  in  the 
nature  of  a  Jewish  hierarchy,  inasmuch  as  the  rabbis  are  sup 
ported  by  the  state  and  are  governed  inter  sese  by  the  prescrip 
tions  of  their  Sanhedrins  or  synods.  A  synod  of  rabbis  in  Amer 
ica  would  perhaps  attain  the  desired  end,  but  it  is  not  easy  to 
convene  such  a  body.  Each  rabbi  being  independent  of  the  rest, 
it  is  next  to  an  impossibility  to  obtain  from  them  all  a  sur 
render  of  their  individual  views  so  that  they  might  all  stand 
upon  the  platform  of  historic  Judaism  and  then  proceed  as  a 
body  to  bring  about  such  reformations  as  are  necessary,  and 
such  only.  I  would  propose  that  the  American  rabbis  should 
form  an  association  recognizing  Judaism  in  its  conservative  and 
orthodox  forms;  recognizing  the  Jewish  creed  and  the  Jewish 
religion  proper  as  something  too  sacred  for  human  hands  to 
touch;  but  recognizing  mere  rites,  forms  and  ceremonies  as  the 
proper  subject  for  intelligent  change,  so  as  to  make  them  con 
form  to  the  spirit  of  the  age  and  thus  increase  their  effective 
ness.  Such  changes,  however,  should  be  made  gradually  and 
not  with  a  mere  desire  of  change,  and  only  as  necessity  demands. 
Such  an  association  or  synod  should  create  from  among  its 
members  a  central  authority  to  pass  upon  mere  matters  of  disci 
pline  during  the  intervals  between  the  convention  of  the  whole 
body.  Such  an  organization  could  entertain  propositions  to 
bring  about  such  changes  as  are  needed  and  such  only,  and  no 
innovation  should  be  recognized  as  being  in  consonance  with 
Judaism^  except  made  under  the  sanction  of  some  such  author 
ity.  Thus  would  the  occupation  of  the  free  lance  in  the  pulpit 
come  to  a  most  timely  end,  and  our  sacred  religion,  which  has 


244  LEO  N-   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

been  the  target  for  so  many  treacherous  marksmen,  stand  once 
more  in  her  ancient  dignity  before  her  children. 

This  is -a  bare  suggestion  of  mine  and  one  to  which  I  am  by  , 
no  means  wedded.  Perchance  some  other  plan  might  be  pro 
posed  that  would  cause  me  to  renounce  the  one  I  have  men 
tioned.  Perhaps,  even  in  the  absence  of  any  substitute  being 
offered,  I  would  yield  to  argument  against  the  feasibility  of 
mine. 

I  should,  perhaps,  not  leave  this  subject  without  a  more  com 
plete  discussion  of  the  remedies  which  I  propose  for  the  evils 
I  point  out,  but  I  will  be  excused  when  it  is  considered  that  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  people  to  demand  the  remedy  and  of  the  rabbis 
to  supply  it.  It  would  be  presumptuous  in  me  to  formulate  a 
plan  of  procedure.  It  must  arise  from  a  multitude  of  minds 
after  the  exchange  of  ideas.  It  is  our  province  to  recognize  our 
want  and  firmly  demand  a  uniform  mode  of  worship,  which 
while  conforming  to  the  times  and  our  conditions  shall  not  so 
far  trench  upon  traditional  methods  as  to  be  entirely  dissimilar 
from  the  practices  of  our  ancestors.  What  we  desire  we  know, 
what  we  need  we  must  ascertain,  what  will  answer  our  needs 
let  our  church  leaders  supply. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Wherein  is  considered  the  Intermarriage  of  Jews  and  Gentiles. 

It  has  been  shown,  I  trust,  that  the  preservation  of  the  Jews 
as  a  people  is  due  in  a  large  measure  to  the  veneration  they  have 
displayed  for  their  traditions  and  their  religion,  and  the  contin 
uance  of  this  veneration  has  been  urged  as  a  powerful  means  for 
perpetuating  the  integrity  of  the  Jews  as  a  people.  There  is 
another  cause,  however,  which  must  not  be  overlooked.  The 
Jews  have  preserved  the  purity  of  their  blood.  If  that  has  been 
a  virtue,  it  was  one  born  of  necessity,  rather  than  choice.  Until 
a  period  within  the  memory  of  men  still  living  there  was  scarce 
ly  if  any  country  on  the  face  of  the  globe  in  which  race  preju 
dice  had  became  so  faint  as  to  permit  of  intermarriages  between 
Jews  and  Gentiles.  But  of  late  years,  and  especially  in  America, 
it  has  become  possible  for  the  Jews  to  pass  upon  the  question  as 
a  matter  of  choice,  instead  of  accepting,  as  heretofore,  a  solution 
dicated  by  necessity.  Being  now,  to  a  greater  or  lesser  degree, 
a  matter  of  choice,  it  becomes  important  to  consider  the  question, 
shall  Jews  confine  themselves  to  their  own  race  in  matrimony? 
My  views  will  be  understood  before  I  express  them.  I  am  of 
the  opinion  that  the  question  should  be  answered  in  the  affirma 
tive.  The  reasons  which  lead  me  to  that  conclusion  will  prove 
more  interesting,  however,  than  the  bare  opinion  itself. 

The  young  and  the  impulsive  are  apt  to  argue  that  love  is  su 
preme  in  dictating  the  selection  of  husband  or  wife.  That  nature 
intended  man  and  woman  to  mate,  and  inspired  individuals  with 
a  passion  which  directs  and  brings  about  a  proper  union;  that 
it  is  worldly  and  unnatural  to  deny  the  heart  its  choice  because 
of  any  conventional  or  politic  reason,  and  being  unnatural  is 
wrong. 

The  argument  may  seem  puerile  to  practical  people,  but,  in 
asmuch  as  it  is  so  generally  accepted  and  urged,  it  merits  some 
consideration. 

245 


246  LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Nature,  or  rather  the  Creator,  provided  for  the  perpetuation 
of  the  human  family  by  making  sensual  love  and  philoprogeni- 
tiveness  integral  parts  of  human  nature.  These  are  qualities 
that  are  common  to  all  animals.  Upon  this  fact  is  based  the 
claim  that  nature's  promptings  should  govern  in  the  choice  of 
husband  or  wife.  The  vice  of  the  argument  lies  in  the  disregard 
of  the  distinction  between  lust  and  love.  One  is  purely  an  ani 
mal  desire;  the  other  is  the  offspring,  or  rather  union,  of  ani 
mal  passion  and  the  more  divine  affections,  such  as  admiration, 
respect,  or  esteem.  If  the  mere  animal  passions  should  govern 
man  as  they  do  the  brute  in  the  selection  of  his  mate,  no  answer 
could  be  made  to  the  argument,  but  the  very  institution  of  mar 
riage  itself  repels  such  a  suggestion.  The  lower  animals  have 
no  guides  but  their  passions,  and  have  no  limits  to  their  con 
stancy  or  continence  but  their  desires.  We,  however,  recog 
nize  an  obligation  incumbent  upon  us  to  cleave  unto  the  partners 
of  our  beds  until  death  the  tie  doth  sever.  It  is  not  my  purpose 
to  discuss  marriage  either  from  a  political  or  religious  stand 
point.  It  is  immaterial  whether  we  consider  the  marriage  rite 
as  a  sacrament  God-ordained,  or  simply  a  civil  contract,  in 
dissoluble  save  on  the  grounds  of  public  policy.  In  either  aspect 
the  obligations  assumed  are  of  life-long  duration,  and  the  con 
sequences  following  their  assumption  of  the  most  solemn  nature. 
Marriage  has  been  said  to  be  "a  fit  nursery  for  the  common 
wealth,"  and  in  this  aspect  it  lies  at  the  foundation  of  govern 
ment.  But  beyond  and  underlying  this  it  is  the  one  and  only 
substantial  basis  of  society.  It  insures  the  education  of  the  hu 
man  family  by  making  certain  the  parentage  of  the  young.  It 
strengthens  and  perpetuates  parental  and  filial  affection  by  the 
constant  associations  and  reciprocal  duties  engendered  by  the 
family  relation.  Around  it  are  clustered,  in  it  are  enfolded, 
from  it  emanates  every  human  virtue  that  makes  man  the  con 
necting  link  between  the  brute  and  the  angel. 

Such  a  solemn,  such  an  enduring  relation  should  not  be 
lightly  entered  into.  No  mere  sexual  desire,  no  impulse,  no  feel 
ings  inspired  by  physical  charms,  should  alone  be  permitted  to 
govern  the  choice  of  a  partner  in  the  marriage  state.  The  keen 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  247 

edge  of  youthful  appetites  wears  but  too  soon  away.  The  dura 
tion  is  in  the  inverse  ratio  of  its  keenness.  Unhappy  indeed  are 
those  who  unite  their  destinies  upon  so  fragile  a  foundation.  For 
when  time  has  cooled  the  hot  blood  of  youth  and  the. judgment 
comes  into  play  nothing  may  be  left  upon  which  to  build  or 
maintain  the  happiness  of  home.  The  profoundest  depths  of  the 
mind  should  be  sounded,  the  ripest  powers  of  judgment  exer 
cised  and  the  most  careful  display  of  taste  made,  in  the  choice 
of  husband  or  wife.  It  is  absurd  'to  say  that  love  is  blind  and 
the  heart  can  not  be  governed  by  the  head.  The  most  charming 
of  all  young  men  and  women  are  to  be  found  among  those  re 
cently  married,  for  the  reason  that  the  most  charming  in  any 
age  or  society  are  as  a  rule  first  married.  Now,  if  it  were  true 
that  the  heart  is  ungovernable,  would  it  not  follow  that  every, 
young  wife  or  husband  must  have  scores  of  desperate  and  heart 
broken  lovers  whose  mania  supervened  the  marriage  ?  And  is 
it  not  true  that  no  honest  man  or  woman  ever  indulges  the  idea 
of  being  enamored  of  another's  wife  or  husband  as  the  case  may 
be? 

To  confess  an  inability  to  control  one's  passion  by  pride, 
duty  or  propriety,  is  to  admit  that  one  is  more  animal  than  hu 
man.  There  is  something  sublime  in  the  old  song : 

"I  could  not  love  thee  half  so  much, 
Loved  I  not  Honor  more." 

The  natural  or  logical  proposition  deducible  from  such  prem 
ises  as  I  have  mentioned  is  plain.  When  considerations  of  duty 
and  propriety  are  equal  let  the  impulses  of  the  heart,  or  body  if 
you  will,  make  the  choice  of  a  mate;  if  duty  or  propriety  stand 
in  the  way  of  such  a  choice,  do  not  make  it.  Let  me  not  be  un 
derstood  as  advocating  the  marriage  de  convencmce.  It  is  as 
much  to  be  decried  as  the  marriage  on  impulse  or  passion.  I 
strongly  and  emphatically  uphold  the  good  old  custom  of  al 
lowing  the  young  folks  to  make  their  own  selections  subject  to 
the  approval  of  their  natural  guardians. 

Returning  now  to  the  subject  proper  of  this  chapter,  it  re- 


248  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

mains  to  be  seen  if  there  be  any  considerations  of  duty  or  pro 
priety  which  should  preclude  the  intermarriage  of  Jews  and 
Gentiles.  If  there  be  none,  mere  race  prejudice  should  not  be 
allowed  to  interfere.  As  I  understand  the  Jewish  religion  there 
is  no  inhibition  in  its  laws  against  the  intermarriage  of  a  Jew 
with  a  Christian,  therefore  I  can  not  trace  any  objection  on  that 
score.  Wherein  then  lies  the  obstacle?  Theoretically,  or  rather 
in  the  abstract,  there  is  none — man  and  woman  were  designed  to 
procreate,  and  whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  if  otherwise  equal,  all 
men  and  women  stand  on  a  parity  before  God,  and  in  this 
country,  before  the  law.  Theoretically  and  in  the  abstract,  the 
same  reasoning  applies  to  marriages  between  the  negroes  and 
the  Caucasians.  Save  for  some  local  restrictions  in  the  latter 
case,  the  parallel  is  perfect.  But  our  law-makers  in  many 
States  have  for  manifest  reasons  prohibited,  with  heavy  pen 
alties,  the  offense  of  miscegenation.  It  is  certainly  no  more  of 
a  malum  per  se  than  a  marriage  between  a  Spaniard  and  an 
Irishman,  but  it  is  made  a  malum  prohibitum  because  of  its 
frightful  consequences.  It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  upon  or  elabo 
rate  the  political  and  social  disturbances  that  would  follow  the 
practice  of  miscegenation.  They  are  too  apparent  to  need  dis 
cussion. 

I  do  not  pretend,  of  course,  that  marriages  between  Jews  and 
Gentiles  would  be  equally  prolific  of  misfortune.  Politically 
such  marriages  would  have  but  little  or  no  influence,  but  I  do 
maintain  that  in  social  relations  they  would  bring  about,  as  a 
rule,  what  they  now  accomplish  in  isolated  cases,  an  unhappy 
state  of  affairs.  Look  at  the  home  that  grows  out  of  such  a 
union.  Around  the  hearthstone  there  is  religious  strife  or  the 
callous  indifferance  in  religious  matters,  that  is  the  only  price 
of  peace.  Beneath  the  roof-tree,  uncongenial  and  opposing  re 
lations  meet  to  scowl  or  sneer  at  each  other.  The  doors  of  all 
society  are  open  to  such  a  family  as  a  matter  of  necessity  or 
politeness,  but  none  have  "welcome"  as  a  greeting.  The  children 
grow  up  without  any  religious  training  of  the  heart  or  with  what 
is  more  common  and  unfortunate,  a  contempt  for  religion  grow 
ing  out  of  the  home  surroundings  and  parental  examples.  In 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  249 

the  nature  of  things,  some  of  the  children  will  follow  the  re 
ligion  and  people  of  one  parent,  while  others  will  travel  the  op 
posite  road,  and  thus  is  severed  the  natural  tie  that  makes  the 
fraternal  relation  so  beautiful  to  behold  and  so  fruitful  of  good. 
Society  is  deeply  interested  in  such  unions,  for  they  are  made  at 
the  expense  of  society. 

I  have  not  overdrawn  the  picture.  If  anything,  I  have  done 
it  scant  justice.  All  the  evils  I  have  named  and  a  thousand 
others  flow  from  such  mixed  marriages,  and  these  evils  are  the 
price  of  a  brief  indulgence  in  animal  pleasures.  I  do  not  gain 
say  that  there  are  exceptions  to  the  rule.  They  prove  rather 
than  disprove  the  rule  itself.  In  rare  cases  such  marriages  are 
happy  and  result  in  a  worthy  and  affectionate  offspring ;  in  rarer 
cases  still  such  marriages  are  justifiable.  In  remote  countries, 
sparsely  populated,  the  choice  may  be  between  such  marriages 
and  a  worse  relation.  In  such  a  case  the  selection  is  plain,  but 
under  ordinary  circumstances,  it  seems  to  me  clear  that  Jews 
should  avoid  marriages  with  Gentiles  and  Gentiles  with  Jews, 
upon  the  same  principle  that  we  avoid  marrying  the  insane,  the 
consumptive,  the  scrofulitic  or  the  negro.  We  marry  for  the 
advancement  of  our  happiness  in  life  and  to  procreate  offspring. 
In  transmitting  life  we  should  do  so  in  such  manner  and  under 
such  circumstances  that  our  offspring  may  have  a  life  worth 
living.  In  taking  a  step  which  is  to  affect  our  happiness,  we 
should  take  it  with  reference  to  our  happiness  to  the  end  of  our 
lives,  else  we  may  barter  the  noon  and  evening  of  our  days  for 
a  few  hours  of  bliss  at  dawn.  The  prudent  traveler  in  cross 
ing  a  desert  does  not  drain  his  flask  to  assuage  his  thirst  at  the 
outset,  but  husbands  every  drop  with  rare  calculation  to  make 
the  supply  reach  to  the  journey's  end. 

The  argument  I  have  offered  on  this  subject  is  more  compre 
hensive  than  the  subject  itself,  for  it  applies  to  all  ill-assorted 
unions.  It  addresses  itself  entirely  to  the  understanding ;  it  is  en 
tirely  utilitarian.  Besides  this  argument  ab  inconvenienti  to  the 
Jew  there  is  another  growing  out  of  the  general  duty  that  he  owes 
to  his  people.  If  it  be  a  duty  of  the  Jews  to  preserve  the  soli 
darity  of  the  Jews  as  a  people,  it  is  the  duty  of  every  Jew 


25O  LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

to  contribute  to  that  end.  It  is  manifest  that  nothing  would 
operate  so  surely  to  disintegrate  the  Jews  as  intermarriage  with 
other  peoples.  It  is  not  always  true  that  majorities  absorb  and 
assimilate  minorities.  The  Jews  are  a  striking  exception.  But 
if  the  barriers  of  distinction  are  thrown  down  complete  assim 
ilation  must  ensue.  Take  away  the  influence  of  Jewish  sur 
roundings  and  education,  and  Jewish  children  will  grow  up  as 
heathens  or  Christians.  Lord  Beaconsfield  and  Mendelssohn, 
the  musician,  are  prominent  proofs  of  this  fact.  The  former, 
especially,  was  proud  of  his  lineage,  but  he  was  a  Christian  by 
belief  and  at  heart,  because  from  infancy  he  was  taught  to  be 
lieve  in  the  religion  of  the  Christians. 

One  of  the  regulations  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  limits 
the  marriages  of,  its  members  to  professors  of  that  faith,  save  in 
certain  excepted  cases.  The  avowed  reason  of  the  rule  is  to 
perpetuate  the  religion  by  insuring  the  education  of  children  in 
the  Church.  The  regulation  is  founded  in  that  great  wisdom 
which  characterizes  the  government  of  the  most  systematic  in 
stitution  that  has  ever  existed.  From  the  Catholic  standpoint 
the  regulation  is  positively  good;  from  no  standpoint  is  it  ob 
jectionable  except  that  the  Church  itself  is  an  evil.  So  too 
from  the  Jewish  standpoint  it  is  a  virtue  to  abstain  from  mixed 
marriages ;  from  no  standpoint  is  the  abstinence  objectionable 
unless  it  be  true  that  the  world  would  be  better  if  we  ceased  to 
exist  as  Jews.  I  shall  consider  that  problem  further  on,  and  I 
trust  I  shall  make  it  plain  that  the  world  would  suffer  by  the 
assimilation  of  a  people  to  whose  distinctive  existence  and  the 
fruits  thereof  it  owes  so  much  of  its  progress,  government  and 
happiness. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Wherein  Is  Considered  the  Education  of  Jewish  Children. 

There  was  a  time  when  gentlemen  were  thankful  that  they 
could  not  read  or  write,  but  such  indifference  to  the  advantages 
of  education  no  longer  exists.  I  need  not,  therefore,  offer  any 
arguments  to  convince  my  readers  that  they  should  educate 
their  children.  It  is  unfortunate  that  experience  has  not  shown 
the  best  mode  of  education,  as  well  as  it  has  proven  education 
to  be  an  advantage.  No  more  difficult  problem  has  ever  taxed 
the  human  mind  than  the  proper  method  of  education  for  the 
young.  The  greatest  thinkers  have  bent  their  thoughts  to  the 
subject,  but  it  still  defiantly  issues  its  challenge  to  the  phi 
losopher.  Education  is  analogous  to  government.  In  fact,  it 
is  a  species  of  government,  and  like  government,  it  is  always 
an  open  question.  We  may  theorize  over  abstract  propositions, 
we  may  plan  Utopias,  we  may  draft  seemingly  faultless  consti 
tutions,  but  we  can  not  provide  against  all  the  evils  that  are 
wont  to  creep  into  the  government  of  people.  So,  too,  with 
systems  of  education.  Men  are  similar  in  many  respects ;  they 
are  different  from  each  other  in  more — and  general  rules  for 
their  government  rarely  avail.  Children  are  but  lesser  men, 
and  the  difficulties  are  relatively  as  great  in  the  management  of 
them.  Pursuing  the  analogy,  we  may  learn  a  lesson  from  it. 
Statesmanship  in  the  studio  is  of  an  easy  accomplishment ;  yet 
nothing  is  so  rare  as  a  great  statesman.  General  principles  of 
right  and  wrong  are  easily  deducible;  their  application  to  par 
ticular  cases  very  difficult.  The  statesman  must  be  practical, 
must  be  governed  by  circumstances,  must  adapt  himself  to 
events  that  could  not  have  been  foreseen.  In  educating  children 
we  should  be  practical,  tractable  and  elastic.  No  fixed  rules 
can  govern  us.  The  puny  child  may  not  be  treated  with  the 
same  freedom  as  the  robust ;  the  slower  mind  must  not  be  driven 

251 


252  LEO  N.  LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

too  hard,  or  the  brilliant  allowed  to  go  too  fast.  To  the  good, 
practical  judgment  of  every  parent  must  be  left  in  a  great  meas 
ure  the  particular  method  of  culture  for  his  children.  Assum 
ing  then  that  education  is  an  advantage,  that  a  liberal  educa 
tion  is  of  special  advantage,  and  that  the  parent  knows  how  to 
educate  his  children,  let  us  consider  whether  there  be  special  or 
any  reasons  why  Jewish  children  should  be  peculiarly  educated. 

It  requires  ordinarily  tnirty  years  of  study  to  form  a  man's 
mind  and  establish  his  character.  Beginning  in  his  sixth  year 
he  should  study  books  for  fifteen  years  and  then  study  men  for 
fifteen  more.  What  is  meant  usually  by  education  is  the  training 
which  he  receives  during  the  first  fifteen.  It  is  very  clear  that 
natures  may  be  warped,  expanded,  shriveled,  perfected  or  cor 
rupted  by  associations  and  extraneous  influences.  That  goes 
without  saying.  It  is  equally  true  that  the  mind  and  heart  of 
man  is  more  susceptible  to  such  extraneous  influences  in  youth 
than  in  manhood.  It  follows  that  during  youth  children  should 
be  guarded  with  special  care  against  such  influences  as  may 
tend  to  deteriorate  their  characters.  Sooner  or  later  we  must  all 
come  in  contact  with  vice  and  sin,  but  when  the  impressionable- 
ness  of  our  nature  has  given  way  to  mature  principles,  we  cope 
with  such  influences  at  least  on  equal  terms.  Sooner  or  later  the 
Jews  must  rub  up  against  the  world.  We  must  mingle  with 
people  of  the  world,  must  deal  with  them,  fight  them  and  with 
them.  If  we  are  thrown  into  association  with  them  from  in 
fancy  up,  the  result  is  easily  foretold.  We  will  take  our  com 
plexion  from  such  association  and  lose  the  distinctive  virtues 
which  are  our  boast.  We  still  preserve  that  reverence  for  our 
parents  which  we  inherit  from  the  patriarchal  times.  By  suf 
fering  our  children  to  mingle  indiscriminately  with  other  chil 
dren,  we  endanger  the  perpetuation  of  that  element  of  our  char 
acter. 

The  good  is  not  so  contagious  as  evil.  Bad  example  is  like 
the  speck  in  garnered  fruit;  it  spreads  with  fearful  rapidity. 
The  less  discriminate  we  are  in  the  associations  with  which  we 
surround  our  children,  the  greater  is  the  danger  of  their  be 
coming  corrupted.  We  should  not  think  that  mental  training 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  253 

alone  is  to  be  considered  in  educating  our  children.  Their  man 
ners,  habits,  methods  of  thought,  and,  most  of  all,  their  morals, 
should  be  considered.  It  is  necessary  that  they  should  have 
some  associates,  else  they  lose  the  stimulus  of  emulation,  but  the 
opposite  extreme  from  isolation  is  perhaps  the  greater  evil.  I 
am  very  clear  that  children  should  be  educated  in  groups;  I  am 
equally  clear  that  the  groups  should  not  be  constituted  by  the 
indiscriminate  collection  of  individuals.  Avowing  such  views, 
I  shall  doubtless  be  charged  with  being  antagonistic  to  the  free 
school  system.  I  anticipate  it  by  declaring  here  that  I  am,  on 
the  contrary,  an  earnest  advocate  of  it.  The  two  positions  are 
entirely  consistent. 

The  institution  of  free  schools  is  clearly  and  properly  within 
the  police  power  of  every  government,  and  the  revenues  de 
rived  from  taxation  may  and  should  be  applied  to  the  free  edu 
cation  of  any  one  who  desires  education.  I  may  add  that  I  am 
not  clear  that  compulsory  education  is  not  also  a  proper  exer 
cise  of  the  same  governmental  prerogatives.  But  because  the 
government  tenders  free  education,  it  does  not  follow  that  it 
must  be  accepted;  if  education  be  made  compulsory,  it  does  not 
follow  that  government  schools  must  be  attended.  The  free 
school  system  is  founded  upon  the  public  policy  which  requires 
enlightenment  among  the  people.  Society  at  large  is  the  bene 
ficiary,  and  it  is  to  attain  that  benefit  to  society  that  the  system 
is  inaugurated  and  maintained.  This  is  the  only  argument  up 
on  which  it  can  be  sustained ;  it  is  an  argument  that  can  not  be 
refuted.  As  a  citizen  I  favor  free  schools,  because  the  education 
they  afford,  imperfect  as  it  is,  is  better  than  none,  and  society  is 
benefited  thereby;  but  as  an  individual  I  prefer  to  pay  to  sup 
port  free  schools  and  send  my  children  to  more  select  places.  As 
a  citizen,  I  regard  only  the  good  of  society;  as  an  individual,  I 
look  for  the  good  of  my  own  children. 

If,  in  my  judgment,  there  were  but  a  shade  of  advantage  in 
the  private  over  the  public  schools,  and  I  could  afford  the  cost, 
I  should  not  hesitate  to  avail  myself  of  that  advantage.  In  the 
nature  of  things  all  classes  of  children  frequent  the  public 
schools.  The  offspring  of  the  vilest  characters  are  attendants, 


254  LEO  N-  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

and  while  the  sins  of  the  parents  may  not  crop  out  in  the  child 
the  chance  of  their  reappearance  is  not  inconsiderable,  and  is 
one  we  should  not  take  if  it  may  be  avoided.  It  may  be  said 
that  if  the  rich  withheld  their  children  the  poor  lose  the  bene 
fit  of  good  associations,  and  thus  society  is  prejudiced.  To  this 
I  have  two  answers :  Society  is  founded  upon  the  selfish  regard 
of  each  parent  for  the  welfare  of  his  own  young.  It  is  nature's 
law  that  we  should  look  after  their  good  first  and  in  the  end 
society  is  the  gainer  by  such  selfishness.  Again,  it  does  not 
follow  that  the  rich  afford  the  best  associations.  Many,  nay,  I 
may  say  a  majority,  of  children  afford  good  associations  even 
though  they  be  of  poor  parentage,  and  poverty  compels  the  chil 
dren  of  many  gentlemen  to  attend  the  free  school. 

The  same  reasoning  that  leads  me  to  the  conclusion  that  no* 
man,  if  he  can  afford  it,  should  fail  to  send  his  children  to 
private  schools,  convinces  me  that  every  consistent  believer  in 
any  faith  should  send  his  children  to  a  school  founded  upon  that 
faith.  A  man  who  has  been  educated  as  a  consistent  Roman 
Catholic,  will,  after  a  few  years  of  bustling  in  the  world,  lose 
the  prejudices  that  are  engendered  by  his  training  and  become 
a  better  member  of  society  than  one  whose  mind  has  been  cul 
tivated  while  his  moraj  nature  has  grown  up  in  weeds;  and  so 
in  any  other  religion.  The  danger  of  narrow-mindedness  and 
bigotry  is  very  small.  These  are  superficial  faults  that  are  worn 
away  by  a  little  friction  with  the  world,  and  when  they  are 
worn  away  a  solid  character  founded  upon  correct  moral  prin 
ciples  is  left  to  withstand  the  many  temptations  of  life. 

In  my  judgment  Jewish  children  should  be  educated  in 
Jewish  schools.  There  they  should  be  taught  the  liberal  sciences 
and  arts  along  with  a  knowledge  of  their  history  and  their  re 
ligion.  In  the  nature  of  things  many  are  too  poor  to  afford  the 
expense;  they  should  be  assisted.  Many  live  in  remote  com 
munities  where  such  schools  can  not  exist.  In  such  cases  it 
becomes  the  duty  of  the  parent  to  teach  his  children  at  home 
that  which  they  can  not  learn  at  school. 

It  may  be  said  that  under  any  circumstances  the  parent  could 
and  should  do  this.  I  grant  the  claim,  but  alas!  many  are  not 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA. 

qualified,  many  will  not  take  the  time,  and  more  have  not  the 
patience. 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  I  am  engaged  in  discussing  how 
we  can  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  Jews  as  such,  and  that  I  am 
arguing  to  show  that  not  only  is  it  a  positive  and  direct  ad 
vantage  to  educate  our  children  as  Jews,  but  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  our  preservation.  Experience  has  shown  that  our 
young  people  will  be  weaned  from  our  people  if  allowed  to  in 
discriminately  associate  with  the  Gentiles.  The  young  have  no 
armor  to  oppose  bigotry  and  prejudice,  and  too  often  do  the 
persecuted  ones  seek  refuge  in  skepticism  or  apostasy  from  the 
shafts  directed  against  them.  There  can  be  no  possible  disad 
vantage  arising  from  exclusive  schools,  save  the  bugbear  of  pre 
judice.  It  is  argued  again  and  again  that  if  we  continue  to  be 
exclusive,  we  shall  continue  to  be  the  target  for  prejudice. 

I  do  not  admit  this  conclusion,  but  even  granting  it,  is  it  not 
true  that  if  in  deference  to  prejudice  we  surrender  our  qualities 
as  Jews,  shall  we  not  cease  to  be  Jews?  A  superficial  analysis 
of  the  prejudice  directed  against  us  will  show  that  the  prejudice 
is  either  against  our  faults  or  our  existence.  In  so  far  as  we  are 
faulty  we  are  justly  amenable  to  censure,  but  unreasoning  preju 
dice  goes  further  and  antagonizes  our  habits,  good  or  bad,  be 
cause  we  who  practice  them  are  Jews.  We  can  not  satisfy  such 
bigots.  They  are  like  the  wolf  with  the  lamb  in  the  fable.  It  is 
our  duty  to  ourselves,  to  properly  educate  our  children  as  Jews, 
and  if  we  are  true  to  ourselves,  we  can  be  false  to  no  one.  Any 
prejudice  against  the  right  will  be  lived  down;  it  can  not  be 
overcome  by  concessions. 

The  Jews  have  conceded  everything  but  their  religion  for 
centuries,  yet  they  did  not  advance  until  in  France  and  America 
they  were  allowed  to  follow  their  own  bent  and  did  it.  In 
France  and  America  we  act  with  more  independence  than  any 
where  else  in  the  world;  we  have  more  rights  and  are  more 
respected  in  France  and  America  than  anywhere  else.  The  les 
son  is  so  plain  that  he  who  runs  may  read.  The  world  respects 
the  consistent  and  manly  practice  of  principles,  and  we  shall 
gain  more  favor  by  making  ourselves  good  Jews  than  by  con- 


256  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

stantly  seeking  to  hide  the  fact  that  we  are  Jews.  I  for  one 
should  be  proud  to  point  to  Jewish  seats  of  learning.  I  am 
proud  to  point  to  our  charities  and  our  synagogues,  and  the 
world  esteems  us  because  we  take  such  good  care  of  one  an 
other.  Let  us  suppose  that  we  had  exclusive  Jewish  schools 
(and  we  have  some  already)  and  that  a  Gentile  should  censure 
us  for  their  institution,  what  would  be  the  basis  of  his  objec 
tion?  None  but  that  such  schools  tend  to  perpetuate  the  Jews. 
Is  it  not  clear  that  no  other  objection  can  be  offered  and  that 
we  can  not  defer  to  a  prejudice  that  can  not  be  diverted  from 
ourselves  without  a  severance  between  ourselves  and  our  his 
tory,  our  traditions  and  our  religion.  No  liberal  man  can  or 
will  censure  our  exclusiveness  in  education  or  marriage;  no  un 
reasonable  man  can  be  satisfied  by  a  seeming  acquiescence  to  the 
demands  of  his  prejudice.  Let  us  always  find  out  what  is  right 
for  us  to  do  and  do  it;  let  us  discover  what  is  best  for  us  to 
do  and  if  right  do  it,  and  we  need  not  trouble  ourselves  about 
the  opinion  of  the  world.  The  world  sooner  or  later  gets  right 
in  its  opinions,  but  never  from  concessions  made  to  prejudice. 
The  sacrifice  of  principles  to  prejudice  feeds  it  and  it  makes  it 
grow ;  the  independent  practice  of  right  is  its  deadliest  foe. 

Nor  can  it  be  successfully  maintained,  that  exclusive  educa 
tion  engenders  bigotry  and  narrow-mindedness.  If  the  educa 
tion  of  the  Jew  were  confined  to  the  school  room  and  the  limits 
of  the  school  room  were  narrow  and  confined,  the  result  upon 
the  mind  of  the  pupil  would  probably  be  bigotry  and  narrow- 
mindedness,  but  the  Jew  like  others,  is  educated  more  after  the 
school  room  is  abandoned  than  while  he  is  under  the  direct  in 
fluence  of  the  pedagogue.  Moreover,  it  is  impossible  to  launch 
upon  the  world  any  young  mind  that  is  fresh  from  its  books, 
that  is  free  from  a  multitude  of  prejudices.  The  smoothness 
that  comes  from  attrition  with  the  world  soon  follows  however 
the  rough  edges  that  are  left  by  contact  with  mere  books.  The 
Jewish  child  is  no  exception  to  this  rule.  If,  when  he  emerges 
from  his  exclusive  school  he  looks  upon  the  world  with  colored 
glasses,  he  will  soon  learn  that  his  vision  will  be  clearer  and  his 
conception  of  external  objects  more  perfect  if  viewed  with  un- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  257 

obstructed  gaze,  and  the  prejudices  that  he  takes  with  him  from 
musty  tomes  will  one  by  one  be  surrendered  until  he  comes  to 
look  upon  his  surroundings  from  the  standpoint  of  a  citizen  of 
the  world.  Practical  experience  establishes  the  truth  of  this 
proposition  more  forcibly  than  any  amount  of  theories.  There 
are  schools  in  which  the  Jews  are  educated  as  Jews  and  from 
them  emerge  men  of  high  talent  and  great  energies,  who  achieve 
unbounded  success  in  the  world,  and  not  less  so  than  those  who 
have  their  infant  minds  molded  by  contact  with  environments 
that  are  foreign  and  hostile  to  them.  The  Jewish  youth  who  is 
educated  in  the  German  universities  is  apt  to  become,  as  ex 
perience  shows,  either  an  apostate  to  his  religion  in  fact,  or 
what  is  worse,  a  hypocrite,  in  that  he  ostensibly  abjures  a  faith 
which  in  truth  he  reveres.  All  efforts  that  have  been  made  to 
proselyte  adult  Jews,  have  proven  abortive.  The  explanation 
of  the  failure  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  the  Jewish  child  has 
been  educated  as  a  Jew.  Once  we  permit  the  ever  active  mis 
sionary  to  invade  the  school  room  and  practice  upon  the  impres 
sionable  minds  of  our  children  the  perpetuity  of  our  people  will 
end.  Israel  will  cease  to  have  a  distinct  existence  among  the 
peoples  of  the  earth  and  the  historian  alone  will  be  .left  to  weep 
over  our  faded  glory. 

"Art   and   eloquence 

And  all  the  shows  o'  the  world,  are  frail  and  vain 
To  weep  a  loss  that  turns  their  light  to  shade. 
It  is  a  woe  'too  deep  for  tears'  when  all 
Is  reft  at  once,  when  some  surpassing  Spirit, 
Whose  light  adorned  the  world  around  it,  leaves 
Those  who  remain  behind,  not  sobs  or  groans, 
The  passionate  tumult  of  a  clinging  hope — 
But  pale  despair  and  cold  tranquility."* 


*Shelley's  Alastor. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Wherein  is  considered  Jewish  socM  life  and  its  proper 
regulation. 

Having  taken  the  position  that  as  Jews  we  should  educate 
our  children  in  Jewish  schools  so  far  as  practicable — and  should 
confine  ourselves  in  marriages  to  our  own  people,  it  may  be  as 
sumed  that  I  favor  exclusiveness  to  a  certain  extent  in  social 
life. 

My  reasons  against  mixed  marriages  have  been  sufficiently 
considered.  My  reasons  for  exclusive  schools  have  also  been 
stated.  It  remains  for  me  to  explain  why  adult  Jews  should  be 
to  a  certain  extent  exclusive  in  their  social  life.  I  may  say 
in  the  outset  that  my  convictions  grow  out  of  considerations 
that  apply  with  equal  force  to  all  classes  of  people,  as  well  as  to 
the  Jews.  Whether  necessarily  or  not,  it  is  inevitable  that  classes 
should  exist  in  society.  All  men  are  not  equal,  and  I  believe  it 
is  safe  to  claim  that  they  never  will  be.  Some  are  better,  purer, 
braver,  more  enlightened  and  more  refined  than  others.  In  no 
country  since  creation's  dawn  have  all  men  been  on  a  footing  of 
social  parity.  To  create  social  equality  it  would  be  necessary 
to  elevate  the  lower,  or  degrade  the  better  elements.  The  pro 
cess  of  elevation  and  degradation  is  constantly  in  progress. 
Those  that  are  high,  fall;  those  that  are  low,  rise.  In  that  law 
of  social  life  is  involved  much  of  the  advance  of  civilization. 

I  shall  not  stop  to  consider  it  at  length  as  it  would  involve 
too  wide  and  far-reaching  a  digression.  In  every  man  whose 
nature  is  normal  there  exists  the  ambition  to  rise  in  the  social 
scale.  Such  ambition  is  worthy  and  should  be  stimulated.  It 
has  given  to  the  world  many  of  its  greatest  heroes.  If  it  were 
possible  to  abolish  class  distinctions  in  society,  this  ambition 
would  perish  for  want  of  nourishment.  When  I  mention  class 
distinctions  I  do  not  refer  to  classes  before  the  law.  Before  the 

258 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  259 

tribunal  of  justice  the  fustian  should  rank  with  the  velvet.  Gov 
ernment  should  confine  itself  to  the  protection  of  society  which 
creates  it  for  that  purpose,  and  not  seek  to  become  greater  than 
its  creator  by  prescribing  the  elements  of  society.  There  exists 
no  valid  reason  why  any  man  should  be  esteemed  better  than 
another,  save  because  of  his  merits.  If  he  is  not  possessed  of 
such  merits,  it  is  a  wrong  upon  society  for  government  to  give 
him  such  pre-eminence;  if  he  be  deserving  public  opinion  will 
furnish  the  elevation  without  the  aid  of  governmental  interfer 
ence.  Aristocracy  is  a  great  good  when  based  upon  merit,  and 
in  every  country  independently  of  laws  on  the  subject  there 
exists  such  an  aristocracy.  Its  elements  are  constantly  chang 
ing.  New  members  are  being  constantly  admitted  and  old  ones 
expelled.  Its  sphere  is  the  world,  its  open  sesame,  gentility.  To 
every  one,  irrespective  of  race  or  creed,  it  is  open,  provided  the 
applicant  be  possessed  of  the  requisite  qualifications.  It  should 
be  the  aim  of  every  man  to  join  this  circle. 

The  history  of  the  Jews  has  precluded  them  from  belonging 
to  this  class  in  any  considerable  numbers.  It  is  needless  to 
rehearse  here  what  is  presumed  to  be  well-known  to  all  of  my 
readers.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  by  reason  of  oppressive  laws  and 
bigoted  persecutions,  the  Jews  have  for  centuries  been  com 
pelled  to  resort  to  subterfuges,  hypocrisy  and  other  doubtful 
practices,  which  all  operated  against  their  enlightenment,  moral 
ity  and  refinement.  In  this  great  country  we  are  relieved  from 
the  causes  which  have  generated  the  evil  in  our  habits  and  na 
tures,  and  it  behooves  us  to  illustrate  our  elasticity  and  inherent 
virtue,  by  advancing  to  the  high  plane  of  gentility  from  which 
we  have  so  long  been  debarred.  But  we  can  not  spring  from  the 
cellar  to  the  roof.  The  persecuted  "dog  of  a  Jew"  whose  gab 
erdine  was  but  yesterday  the  garb  of  dishonor,  can  not  in  a 
day,  by  casting  his  old  vestments  aside,  become  a  gentleman. 
Liberty  permits  and  enjoins  us  to  improve,  but  again  I  say,  "re 
form  does  not  mean  revolution."  Our  progress  must  be  grad 
ual  in  order  to  be  sure.  It  has  already  been  abundantly  proven 
in  America  that  Jews  may  and  do  obtain  a  safe  footing  on  the 
broad  plane  of  gentility.  The  instances  are  limited,  because  our 


26O  LEO  N.  LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

opportunities  have  been  of  short  duration.  We  are  as  a  class 
in  America  in  a  chrysalis  state.  We  are  as  different  among 
ourselves  individually  as  we  are  from  the  world  as  a  people. 
Our  general  character  is  passing  through  a  formative  period. 
Sooner  or  later,  I  confidently  expect  that  such  a  proportion  of 
Jews  will  improve,  that,  despite  a  large  element  of  dross  among 
us,  we  shall  be  called  a  people  of  gentlemen.  To  that  end  we 
should  strive  with  untiring  devotion.  In  that  effort  we  should 
aid  each  other  with  fraternal  unselfishness.  How  shall  we  best 
accomplish  that  end? 

The  answer  will  be  offered  at  once,  that  since  the  exemplars 
of  gentility  mostly  abound  among  the  Gentiles,  we  should  asso 
ciate  with  them  as  much  as  possible,  in  order  to  wear  our  own 
rudeness  away.  I  have  always  been  met  by  this  suggestion, 
and  while  the  answer  thereto  is  complete,  its  practical  operation 
is  difficult.  If  gentlemen  were  willing  to  meet  all  Jews  on  a 
parity  because  they  are  Jews,  we  should  doubtless  derive  much 
benefit  from  such  association.  But,  while  it  is  true  that  no  gen 
tleman  refuses  association  with  another  because  that  other  is  a 
Jew,  he  will  not,  as  a  rule,  associate  with  a  Jew  unless  he  be  a 
gentleman.  As  we  are  far  from  being  all  gentlemen,  we  can 
not  reasonably  expect  to  be  admitted  as  a  class  into  good  so 
ciety.  If,  therefore,  we  desire  as  a  class  to  associate  in  social 
life  with  Gentiles,  we  must  seek  our  level  or  meet  with  humil 
iating  repulses.  Our  level  in  social  life  is  quite  low,  and  those 
among  the  Gentiles  who  rank  with  us  in  social  attributes  are  far 
below  us  in  other  respects.  From  such  associations  we  should 
derive  no  good  and  much  harm.  I  apprehend  that  no  one  will 
gainsay  the  two  propositions  I  have  announced,  viz:  ist.  That 
we  have  no  right  as  a  class  to  expect  recognition  as  equals  from 
gentle  society.  2d.  That  from  association  with  the  lower  ele 
ments  we  should  experience  more  evil  than  good.  But,  un 
fortunately,  our  people  are  vain.  We  are  apt  to  "see  the  mote 
in  our  neighbor's  eye,  and  ignore  the  beam  in  our  own." 

We  are  much  like  the  Puritans  who  thanked  the  Lord  that 
they  were  not  as  other  men.  I  shall  find  no  end  to  the  number 
of  Jews  that  will  agree  with  me  when  I  assert  that  we  as  a  class 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  26l 

are  not  gentle,  but  alas,  I  should  have  to  search  like  Diogenes 
with  a  lantern  for  one  who  does  not  claim  to  be  an  exception. 
Herein  lies  a  great  difficulty.  We  are  critical  enough  to  detect 
our  neighbors'  shortcomings,  but  once  we  have  acquired  wealth, 
rich  garments,  commercial  standing,  etc.,  we  imagine  that  we 
have  crossed  over  the  line  that  separates  the  lower  from  the 
better  classes.  Impressed  with  this  idea  many  of  us  turn  our 
backs  upon  our  own  people  and  obtrude  ourselves  upon  others. 
The  result  is  ridicule,  prejudice,  disgust  and  often  rude  rebuffs. 
Society  can  not  be  obtruded  upon.  It  will  not  tolerate  it,  nor 
does  it  require  it.  It  draws  its  members  by  attraction,  just  as 
the  sun  draws  the  moisture  to  form  clouds.  Whenever  we 
possess  the  necessary  qualifications  gentle  society  will  discover 
it,  and  extend  its  invitation  to  us.  Meanwhile  let  us  be  modest. 
While  we  strive  for  great  ends,  do  not  let  us  anticipate  the 
honors  we  aim  for.  It  is  the  fool  who  wears  the  laurel  before 
the  fight. 

But  while  it  is  true  that  but  a  small  minority  of  our  people 
have  attained  the  standard  required  by  good  society,  there  are 
unquestionably  some  who  have.  The  questions  will  be  asked: 
Should  this  few  continue  to  associate  with  the  Jews  who  are 
confessedly  beneath  them,  or  mingle  with  their  equals  of  other 
creeds?  Is  there  any  good  reason  why  a  Jewish  gentleman 
should  associate  with  a  Jewish  boor?  To  such  inquiries  I.  make 
this  answer:  The  Jewish  gentleman  should  associate  with  his 
equals,  irrespective  of  creed  or  nationality,  but  he  should  not 
entirely  deny  himself  to  his  own  people.  He  has  a  double 
duty  to  perform.  As  a  gentleman  he  owes  his  co-operation 
to  gentle  society;  as  a  Jew  he  owes  the  benefit  of  his  example 
and  association  to  his  people.  He  should  be  to  them  a  preceptor 
by  example.  His  life  should  be  a  standing  encouragement  to 
ambition,  a  standing  rebuke  to  rudeness.  As  before  stated,  we  are 
passing  through  a  formative  period.  We  have  no  distinct  char 
acter  at  present,  for  the  many  heterogeneous  elements  have  not 
had  time  to  arrange  themselves  into  a  consistent  whole.  In  due 
time  we  shall  settle  down  and  then  there  will  be  classes  among 
us  as  among  other  people. 


262  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Until  recently  a  community  of  suffering  has  kept  all  Jews  on 
a  level  with  respect  to  one  another.  Liberty  permits  us  to 
emerge  from  that  condition  and  regulate  our  relations 
among  ourselves  upon  a  different  principle.  We  shall 
have  an  aristocracy  among  ourselves  as  certainly  as  there 
was  one  among  the  Jews  before  they  became  the  target 
for  universal  persecution.  Until  that  time  at  least  we 
should  assist  each  other  unto  the  end  that  while  our  char 
acter  as  a  people  is  being  formed,  the  better  elements 
may  predominate.  We  should  be  a  school  unto  and  within  our 
selves.  It  is  sad  indeed  to  see  how  prone  are  our  Jews  to  forget 
and  abjure  their  own  people.  When  prosperity  and  opportunity 
enable  a  Jew  to  rise  superior  to  his  people,  how  seldom  does  he 
concern  himself  about  what  is  behind  him.  He  is  like  the  selfish 
climber  who  draws  the  ladder  up  when  he  is  at  the  top,  instead 
of  holding  it  in  place  for  the  next.  It  will,  I  trust,  be  remarked 
that  I  do  not  favor  non-intercourse  with  Gentiles.  On  the  con- 
traryj  I  strongly  oppose  it.  When  our  children  grow  old  enough 
to  have  well-settled  convicitons  on  matters  of  principles,  I  favor 
a  general  association  with  their  equals  drawn  from  any  source. 
In  many  instances  I  think  the  finishing  touches  of  a  liberal  edu 
cation  should  be  derived  at  a  cosmopolitan  university.  I  believe 
that  social  intercourse  between  the  better  classes  of  different 
peoples  is  a  benefit  to  both,  but  I  am  equally  clear  that  the  lower 
class  will  be  prejudiced  by  such  admixture. 

It  will  further  be  observed  that  I  do  not  base  my  conclusions 
upon  prejudice  or  fear,  nor  upon  the  theory  that  the  Jew  and 
Gentile  are  like  oil  and  water,  and  will  not  mix.  I  can  not  base 
it  upon  prejudice,  for  I  have  none.  I  love  not  the  Gentile  less  be 
cause  I  love  my  people  more.  Moreover,  I  am  frank  to  admit 
that  while  we  have  stronger  and  more  enduring  virtues  than 
any  other  people,  we  have  also  deep-rooted  faults  which  preclude 
us  from  claiming  equality  with  the  better  class  of  Gentiles.  I 
do  not  object  to  association  because  we  are  superior  to  the 
Gentiles,  but  because  we  are  inferior  to  their  better  class.  I  do 
not  oppose  intercourse  because  of  any  fear,  because  I  am  con 
vinced  that  any  adult  Jew  who  has  been  properly  reared  as 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  26.- 

such  is  in  no  danger  of  abjuring  his  religion,  because  of  such 
intercourse.  The  young  or  the  ignorant  or  the  hypocrites  may 
become  apostates  from  Judaism,  or  intermarry  with  the  Gentiles, 
but  it  is  a  rare  occurrence  for  an  enlightened  adult  Jew  to  be 
come  an  honest  convert  to  any  other  religion.  I  do  not  oppose 
intercourse  because  the  two  peoples  can  not  mix,  for  the  idea  is 
absurd.  We  mix  with  them  every  day  of  our  lives.  We  mix 
with  them  in  business,  in  politics  and  on  the  field  of  battle,  why 
should  we  not  mix  with  them  in  social  life,  other  things  being 
equal  ? 

In  leaving  this  subject  I  may  be  allowed  to  say,  that  in  this, 
as  in  education  and  intermarriages,  we  must  be  governed  largely 
by  circumstances.  There  are  communities  where  there  can  be 
no  distinct  Jewish  society,  there  are  circumstances  under  which 
the  bar  of  exclusiveness  should  be  raised  higher  than  usual,  or 
thrown  down  entirely.  The  discretion  of  some  of  our  people, 
and  their  good  sense,  may  be  trusted  more  than  others,  and,  in 
fact,  a  thousand  exceptions  may  be  found  to  the  general  rule. 

I  have  already  sufficiently  commented  upon  the  argument 
founded  upon  prejudice  against  our  exclusiveness,  and  I  shall 
not  devote  any  attention  to  it  here.  If  it  be  in  the  line  of  our 
advancement  to  be  more  or  less  exclusive,  the  world  is  the  gain 
er,  and  any  prejudice  against  it  is  unreasonable  and  should  not 
be  regarded. 

The  careful  reader  will  have  observed  that  in  discussing  the 
proper  relations  that  should  exist  between  the  Jews  and  the 
Gentiles  I  have  considered  the  parties  as  classes.  In  that  aspect 
of  the  matter,  as  I  have  already  shown,  I  favor,  for  the  present 
at  least,  a  policy  of  largely  restricted  intercourse.  For  fear  that 
I  shall  be  misunderstood,  I  deem  it  proper  to  discuss,  in  ad 
dition  to  what  has  been  written,  the  relations  of  individual  Jews 
to  Gentiles  as  a  class,  and  of  the  Jews  as  a  class  to  individual 
Gentiles. 

Nothing  is  so  calculated  to  quicken  the  perception,  mature 
the  judgment  and  broaden  the  mind  of  a  person  as  intercourse 
with  others.  Travel  in  strange  lands  has  always  been  recog 
nized  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  means  of  education.  When 


264  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

such  intercourse  can  be  had  without  endangering  the  morality 
of  the  person  seeking  it,  it  should  be  encouraged,  but  when,  as 
I  have  shown,  it  is  fraught  with  grave  danger,  it  should  be 
avoided.  The  medicine  which  benefits  a  strong  man  may  be 
death  to  a  child.  In  these  matters  we  must  exercise  the  same 
judgment  that  governs  the  intelligent  physician  in  prescribing 
strong  medicines. 

The  reasons  which  obtain  against  a  general  intercourse  with 
Gentiles  "do  not  and  can  not  apply  to  individual  Jews  who  are 
free  from  the  shortcomings  that  give  force  to  those  reasons. 
Given  a  Jew  who  is  possessed  of  noble  instincts,  who  is  edu 
cated,  pure,  refined  and  gentle,  and  there  exists  no  reason  why 
he  should  not  seek  the  society  of  his  equals  in  the  great  world. 
Such  a  man  does  not  shrink  from  the  name  of  Jew.  He  is  proud 
of  it  and  stands  ever  ready  to  defend  it.  He  is  not  sensitive  to 
the  mention  of  his  people,  but  stands  ready  to  extol  their  virtues 
and  palliate  their  faults.  He  is  in  no  danger  of  becoming  an 
apostate,  for  his  heart  clings  to  the  traditions  of  his  ancestors, 
and  his  mind  recognizes  in  the  simple  grandeur  of  his  creed  the 
incomparable  truth  of  God-worship.  He  will  not  intermarry 
with  the  Gentiles,  for  he  is  an  aristocrat,  proud  of  his  lineage, 
and  to  his  children  he  would  bequeath  an  unmixed  strain  of 
pure  Jewish  blood.  But  he  will  mingle  with  high-minded  and 
cultured  people.  He  will  teach  them  the  philosophy  learned 
from  centuries  of  suffering;  he  will  show  them  the  patience  that 
no  persecution  could  destroy,  a  courage  that  no  terrors  could 
daunt.  He  will  learn  in  his  turn  the  blessings  of  the  liberty  his 
people  now  enjoy,  he  will  grow  strong  in  his  permitted  man 
hood,  he  will  read  in  the  liberality  of  a  new  era  the  palladium  of 
his  people's  future  and  will  grow  more  devout  in  his  praise,  of 
Him  who  after  so  many  years  has  at  last  shown  us  the  silvery 
lining  of  the  clouds.  And  he  will  not  selfishly  hug  to  himself 
the  privileges  he  enjoys  and  the  lessons  he  learns,  but  he  will 
come  back  to  his  people  and  show  them  through  himself  the  re 
ward  which  lies  within  the  reach  of  every  Jew  who  does  honor 
to  the  name.  He  will  not  scorn  his  people  because  they  are  not 
his  equals.  His  people  are  to  him  an  Alma  Mater,  to  whom  he 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA. 


265 


will  return  again  and  again  with  loving  words,  just  as  the  faith 
ful  son  returns  to  his  humble  mother  in  her  lowly  hut,  albeit  he 
has  conquered  the  world.  The  Jew  that  fails  to  give  his  people 
the  benefit  of  his  culture,  refinement  and  success,  can  only  be 
likened  to  those  ungrateful  children  who,  though  sprung  from 
humble  parentage,  rise  in  the  world  and  then  ignore  their  pa 
rents  as  incumbranceS. 

I  am  thus  earnest  in  denunciation  of  such  baseness,  because 
the  history  of  our  people  proves  how  prone  they  are  to  ignore 
the  past.  In  times  of  suffering  they  were  ever  contrite  and 
humble  to  superior  authority,  devout  in  religion  and  tender  to 
one  another;  but  when  prosperity  dawned  upon  them  they  be 
came  haughty  and  impatient,  indifferent  to  their  holy  religion, 
and  rude  to  one  another.  In  this  they  resemble  those  plants 
which  flourish  in  dark  and  noisome  places,  but  become  dwarfed 
in  the  sunshine. 

I  can  not  too  strongly  urge  upon  parents  the  duty  of  im 
pressing  duly  upon  the  minds  of  their  children  the  obligations 
they  owe  to  their  people.  They  should  be  taught  that  it  is 
neither  a  disgrace  nor  a  misfortune  to  be  born  a  Jew ;  that  there 
is  no  higher  patent  of  nobility.  Our  history  proves  us  to  be 
like  the  rich  soil  which  grows  in  luxuriance  the  most  noxious 
weeds  and  the  choicest  flowers.  Remembering  always  the 
source  of  the  growth — the  fundamental  virtues  within  us — the 
soil  as  it  were  of  our  natures,  we  should  not  flee  from  the  weeds, 
but  rather  pluck  them  out,  to  give  stronger  growth  to  the 
flowers. 

Let  me  now  briefly  consider  the  relations  of  the  Jews  to  indi 
vidual  Gentiles: 

It  not  infrequently  occurs  that  Gentiles  of  culture  and  re 
finement,  impressed  with  the  history  and  inherent  virtues  of  the 
Jews,  desire  and  seek  social  intercourse  with  our  people.  I 
should  be  grieved  if  I  have  created  the  impression  that  to 
such  people  I  would  close  our  doors.  On  the  contrary  I  would 
extend  to  them  the  warmest  welcome.  They  do  us  a  double 
honor  in  that  they  become  our  guests,  and  that  in  their  conduct 
they  recognize  our  virtues  to  overbalance  our  faults.  Finally, 


266  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

let  me  remark  that  by  intercourse  I  mean  that  unrestrained  com 
mingling  of  spirit  as  well  as  of  persons.  In  the  nature  of  things, 
from  reasons  of  expediency  and  motives  of  courtesy,  there 
exists,  and  must  continue  a  formal  admixture,  which  is  devoid 
of  any  flow  of  soul.  Against  this,  under  any  circumstances, 
there  can  be  no  valid  objection,  for  in  it  there  is  little  if  any  sig 
nificance. 

Life  would  not  be  worth  living  if  it  were  not  for  the  many 
pleasures  experienced  in  social  intercourse.  In  the  meeting  of 
friends  or  congenial  companions  the  cares  of  life  are  forgot 
ten,  the  spirits  are  set  free  as  the  spring  sunshine  frees  the  ice  in 
the  frozen  river,  and  all  the  generous  and  better  emotions  are 
put  in  exercise.  Freedom  from  restraint,  ease,  the  sense  of 
home  must  be  present,  to  accomplish  such  results.  Uncongenial 
elements,  if  brought  together,  utterly  fail  to  generate  the  happy 
feelings  which  should  predominate.  We  seek  society  in  order  to 
obtain  such  pleasures.  The  associations  which  I  have  referred 
to  are  the  kind  which  are  sought  in  compliance  with  the  native 
social  demands  of  our  being. 

The  better  to  facilitate  such  happiness  in  every  country  and 
in  every  age,  various  kinds  of  organizations  have  existed  as 
they  exist  today.  The  Jews  have  theirs. 

For  many  reasons  they  are  exclusive.  In  theory  they  should 
not  be  so.  In  our  social  organizations  we  should,  in  deference 
to  the  argument  which  I  have  already  named,  admit  any  con 
genial  and  worthy  Gentile  who  honors  us  with  his  application. 
But  what  may  be  theoretically  correct  may  be  found  practically 
wrong.  It  certainly  is  a  wrong  to  exclude  a  worthy  person  be 
cause  he  does  not  happen  to  be  a  Jew;  but  on  the  other  hand 
where  are  you  to  draw  the  line.  If  we  make  the  qualities  of 
gentility  prerequisites  to  admission  among  us,  we  shall  exclude 
those  who  may  justly  charge  us  with  being  no  better  than  they. 
When  we  shall  have  passed  through  the  formative  period  and 
have  progressed  far  enough  to  have  a  true  aristocracy  of  our 
own  we  may  carry  out  in  practice  what  is  undoubtedly  true  in 
theory.  But  while  we  are  undergoing  formation,  so  to  speak, 
we  must  either  remain  unto  ourselves,  mix  indiscriminately  with 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  267 

others,  or  the  few  advanced  Jews  must  abandon  their  more  un 
fortunate  brethren.  Of  the  three  evils  the  first  seems  to  me 
unquestionably  the  least. 

In  advocating  this  view  I  have  had  to  encounter  the  objection 
that  we  are  doing  that  which  if  done  to  us  would  give  us  great 
pain.  I  have  been  asked,  what  if  an  organization  should  ex 
clude  us  because  we  are  Jews?  Would  it  be  right?  To  such  I 
answer  this :  If  a  number  of  Roman  Catholics  felt  that  because 
of  that  common  tie  they  could  enjoy  social  life  by  and  through 
an  organization  composed  solely  of  Roman  Catholics  we  should 
not  feel  hurt  at  being  excluded.  Along  with  us  would  be  ex 
cluded  many  others,  and  it  would  be  apparent  that  the  exclusion 
was  not  directed  outward  but  inward.  In  other  words  we 
would  not  be  excluded  because  we  are  Jews,  nor  the  Protestant 
because  he  is  a  Protestant,  but  we  would  all  be  excluded  be 
cause  we  are  not  Catholics.  So  again  if  the  American  Colony 
in  Paris  excluded  from  their  social  organization  all  but  Ameri 
cans,  the  Austrian  or  Italian  have  no  reason  to  complain.  If 
only  Austrians  were  excluded  there  would  be  just  ground  for 
complaint.  If  from  any  organization  only  Jews  were  excluded, 
and  the  exclusion  applied  to  all  Jews,  we  would  have  a  right 
to  resent  the  affront,  for  it  would  be  designed  as  such.  It  is 
clear,  however,  that  when  we  exclude  all  but  Jews  from  our  or 
ganization,  there  is  no  assumption  of  superiority  in  ourselves, 
there  is  no  imputation  of  inferiority  in  others.  We  simply  de 
clare  that  we  can  best  attain  the  pleasures  of  social  life  by  ex 
clusion,  and  for  that  reason  we  prefer  to  remain  exclusive. 
The  gist  of  the  whole  matter  lies  in  the  intention.  When  Jews 
are  denied  admission  to  a  public  place  because  they  are  Jews, 
a  stamp  of  inferiority  is  sought  to  be  fastened  upon  us.  But  if 
a  Jew  be  denied  admission  to  a  Catholic  institution  because  he 
is  not  a  Catholic  nothing  of  ill  or  inferiority  is  imputed  to  him. 
A  Protestant  Christian  or  a  Mohammedan  would  meet  with  a 
like  rebuff. 

But  the  question  is  an  idle  one.  Gentiles  do  not  trouble  Jew 
ish  organizations  with  their  applications,  nor  do  they  feel  hurt 
at  the  knowledge  that  they  can  not  be  admitted  as  members. 


268  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

The  objection  which  is  formulated  in  the  question  grows  out  of 
a  morbid  fear  that  we  will  do  that  which  will  excite  the  anti- 
Semitic  spirit  of  the  world.  Such  a  fear  is  groundless.  Wher 
ever  that  spirit  exists  it  will  develop  without  waiting  for  such 
provocation.  In  America  the  great  principles  of  liberty  have  al 
most  destroyed  that  spirit,  and  it  is  only  individuals  who  re 
ceive  censure;  the  Jews  as  a  class  are  not  the  objects  of  preju 
dice.  The  genius  of  this  our  new  Jerusalem  forbids  such  class 
prejudice,  and  it  is  dying  out. 

"Fused  in  her  candid  light, 
To  one  strong  race,  all  races  here  unite ; 
Tongues  melt  in  hers,  hereditary  foemen 
Forget  their  swords  and  slogan,  kith  and  clan; 
'Twas  glory  once  to  be  a  Roman; 
She  makes  it  glory,  now,  to  be  a  Man."* 

*Bayard  Taylor's  "National  Ode." 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Wherein  is  considered  Jewish  Charities. 

The  tendency  toward  generalization  among  modern  Ameri 
can  Israelites  has  in  many  instances  been  carried  to  a  point  from 
which  even  sectarian  charities  are  denounced.  It  is  but  the  log 
ical  issue  of  the  doctrine  which  condemns  exclusiveness  in  social, 
educational  and  religious  matters.  There  is  no  stronger  argu 
ment  against  the  confinements  which  surround  our  social  and 
religious  life  than  against  the  limitation  of  our  charities.  From 
the  standpoint  of  those  who  eloquently  advocate  the  universal 
brotherhood  of  man,  it  must  be  sinful  to  house  and  feed  and 
clothe  the  Jewish  orphan,  while  the  juvenile  and  parentless  Hot 
tentot  is  not  sufficiently  supplied  with  red  flannel  shirts  and 
Bibles.  The  answer  to  such  objections  is  not  difficult. 

It  is  true  that  charity  should  be  universal,  just  as  it  is  true 
that  we  should  love  all  of  our  fellow-men.  But,  as  already 
shown,  if  we  love  one  another  with  a  like  degree  of  affection 
our  love  would  be  indifference,  and  would  thus  cease  to  be  of 
value.  It  is  equally  true  that  if  we  could  distribute  our  char 
ities  with  impartial  hands  to  all  the  needy  in  the  world,  it  would 
fail  in  its  object,  which  is  the  relief  of  suffering.  Charity 
should  be  universal  in  the  sense  that  everybody  should  be  char 
itable,  but  it  is  absurd  to  contend  that  every  charitable  person 
should  bestow  his  gifts  universally.  Charity  loses  its  virtue 
when  it  is  not  effective,  and  it  is  more  injurious  than  beneficial 
when  not  wisely  bestowed. 

Each  individual  can  afford  only  a  certain  contribution  for 
charitable  purposes — so  of  communities  and  classes.  Experience 
has  demonstrated  that  when  the  contributions  of  a  large  number 
are  combined  more  good  is  accomplished  by  the  aggregated 
fund  than  by  a  like  sum  distributed  directly  by  the  individuals. 
I  need  not  pause  to  explain  the  premises  of  this  universally  ac- 

26q 


270  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

cepted  conclusion.  The  reasons  are  obvious.  The  main  reason 
is  the  power  and  effect  of  concentration  as  contrasted  with  the 
weakness  and  inefficiency  of  diffusion.  A  volume  of  water  con 
fined  between  banks  scours  for  itself  a  channel  to  the  sea;  if 
diffused  over  a  wide  surface  it  becomes  stagnant  and  evaporates. 
Charitable  contributions  should  be  concentrated  for  intelligent 
and  effective  distribution.  The  distribution  should  extend  to 
the  furthest  limits  within  which  it  will  always  be  effective.  The 
object  being  effectiveness,  the  limits  should  be  fixed  with  ref 
erence  thereto. 

I  do  not  by  any  means  advocate  that  Jews  should  absolutely 
confine  their  charities  to  the  Jews — but  I  maintain  that  when 
the  means  of  the  Jews  are  limited  they  should  first  be  appro 
priated  to  alleviating  the  wants  of  those  having  the  highest 
claim.  The  doctrine  that  charity  begins  at  home  needs  no  cham 
pion.  The  heart  of  every  humane  person  furnishes  evidence  in 
its  support  that  is  unanswerable.  It  is  upon  that  doctrine,  and 
no  other,  that  I  contend  that  since  our  means  are  not  co-equal 
with  all  objects  of  charity,  we  may  and  should  properly  first 
devote  them  to  caring  for  Jewish  wants. 

The  wisest  and  purest  international  jurists  hold  that,  while 
in  the  abstract  every  man  has  the  right  to  exercise  his  natural 
prerogatives  in  any  clime,  yet  it  is  competent  for  any  nation  to 
abridge  those  prerogatives  among  foreigners  in  order  the 
greater  to  benefit  its  own  citizens.  Thus  one  nation  may  be 
starving  for  want  of  a  market  for  the  exchange  of  its  own 
product  for  breadstuffs,  and  yet  another  government  may  be 
justified  in  protecting  its  own  people  by  denying  the  commerce. 
Again,  in  case  of  pestilence,  not  only  does  one  nation  quaran 
tine  against  another,  but  communities  in  the  same  nation  shut 
themselves  up  against  their  neighbors.  This  is  not  only  the  law 
of  self-defense;  it  is  also  the  principle  that  charity  begins  at 
home.  Nations  and  communities  care  first  for  their  own  suffer 
ings,  as  in  duty  bound  they  should,  and  so  with  classes  by  what 
ever  limits  they  are  defined.  But  it  is  contended  that  there 
should  be  no  classes  founded  on  religious  belief.  As  I  have 
already  shown,  the  Jews  are  to  be  classed  more  by  reason  of 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  271 

the  race  idea  than  because  of  the  Jewish  religion.  But  con 
ceding  the  fact  upon  which  the  objection  is  made  against  classes 
based  on  religious  belief,  is  it  sound?  I  have  not  discovered 
any  reason  for  such  a  distinction  save  one,  and  of  that  I  shall 
make  brief  mention  in  the  next  chapter.  It  is  conceded  by  all 
that  all  suffering  should  be  alleviated  as  far  as  possible,  and 
that  every  man  should  contribute  his  quota  to  that  end.  It 
follows  then  that  every  Jew  in  want  is  entitled  to  aid,  and  that 
every  Jew  of  means  should  be  charitable,  and  so  of  every  Gen 
tile.  It  is  too  clear  for  argument  that  if  Jewish  contributions 
were  indiscriminately  made,  and  Jewish  suffering  left  to  the 
charity  of  the  world  at  large,  the  suffering  Jews  would  not  re 
ceive  as  much  aid,  nor  would  Jewish  contributions  accomplish 
as  much  good  as  •  now.  Under  a  system  of  sectarian  chari 
ties  imposition  can  be  better  guarded  against  than  under  any 
other  system,  and  beyond  all  question  a  better  organization  can 
be  effected  for  the  distribution  of  contributions.  The  world  at 
large  is  interested  in  such  results  as  well  and  as  much  as  we, 
for  if  we  effectually  care  for  our  own  poor  we  relieve  the  bal 
ance  of  the  world  of  that  charge. 

But  there  are  a  multitude  of  other  arguments  in  favor  of 
sectarian  charities.  The  contributors  are  brought  into  more 
direct  contact  with  the  sufferers  and  are  moved  by  this  and  the 
further  consideration  of  a  common  faith  to  more  liberal  con 
tributions. 

Again,  in  orphan  asylums  and  homes  for  the  widows,  the  aged 
and  infirm,  if  sectarianism  be  observed,  the  inmates  move  in  a 
congenial  atmosphere;  they  can  be  educated  from  a  common 
standpoint  and  practice  their  religion  at  a  common  altar.  These 
and  many  other  advantages  are  incidents  to  sectarianism  which 
argue  in  its  favor.  The  corresponding  disadvantages  are  equally 
potent  against  mixed  charities.  But  the  great  argument  is  ef 
fectiveness.  Every  church  recognizes  this  and  practices  it,  and 
herein  lies  another  advantage,  for  different  churches  emulate 
one  another  in  the  good  they  accomplish,  and  are  thus  led  to  a 
more  liberal  support  of  their  respective  charities. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Wherein  is  considered  the  prejudice  against  the  Jews. 

I  now  come  to  consider  the  only  argument  I  have  ever  heard 
advanced  by  the  Jews  against  Jewish  charities :  It  gives  rise  to 
prejudice!  There  is  something  so  cowardly  in  this  that  I  have 
but  little  patience  with  it.  If  it  were  true  that  prejudice  is 
aroused  against  us  because  we  house  and  clothe  our  poor  and 
educate  our  orphans,  it  would  become  us  as  men  to  defy  a  preju 
dice  that  would  do  us  honor  and  shame  those  that  display  it. 
Shall  we  shrink  from  virtue  because  it  is  jeered  at  or  condemned 
by  the  wicked?  Alas,  it  is  too  frequently  the  case  that  men  are 
misled  from  the  right  because  evil  minds  ridicule  and  decry  it. 
We  have  indeed  degenerated  if  we  can  not  endure  what,  under 
this  government,  can  only  be  a  prejudice.  Our  history  is  full  of 
the  manhood  that  withstood  the  persecution  of  every  tyrant  from 
the  earliest  ages  to  the  present. 

But,  is  it  true  that  the  exclusiveness  I  have  advocated  ex 
cites  prejudice?  Have  we  not  always  been  exclusive?  And  were 
we  not  in  the  greatest  degree  the  objects  of  persecution  when 
we  were  compelled  by  law  to  be  exclusive  ?  Are  we  not  respected 
to-day  as  a  class  by  right-thinking  men  for  virtues  that  are  pecu 
liar  to  us  as  a  class?  When  Disraeli  gave  his  "Coningsby"  to  the 
world  he  was  not  the  Premier  of  Great  Britain,  and,  as  such, 
arbiter  of  the  fate  of  Europe,  but  his  genius  smote  a  chord  in 
the  public  heart  that  furnished  answering  music,  unhushed  to  the 
present  day.  Read  what  he  says  of  the  Jews,  and  remember  that 
it  was  received  with  favor  by  the  reading  world  of  this  progres 
sive  century: 

"You  never  observe  a  great  intellectual  movement  in  Europe 
in  which  the  Jews  do  not  greatly  participate.  The  first  Jesuits 
were  Jews ;  that  mysterious  Russian  Diplomacy  which  so  alarms 
Western  Europe  is  organized  and  principally  carried  on  by  Jews ; 
that  mighty  revolution  which  is  at  this  moment  preparing  in 

272 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  273 

Germany,  and  which  will  be,  in  fact,  a  second  and  greater  re 
formation,  and  of  which  so  little  is  as  yet  known  in  England,  is 
entirely  developing  under  the  auspices  of  Jews,  who  almost  mo 
nopolize  the  professorial  chairs  of  Germany.  Neander,  the 
founder  of  Spiritual  Christianity,  and  who  is  Regius  Professor 
of  Divinity  in  the  University  of  Berlin,  is  a  Jew.  Benary,  equally 
famous,  and  in  the  same  University,  is  a  Jew.  Wehl,  the  Arabic 
Professor  of  Heidelberg,  is  a  Jew.  Years  ago,  when  I  was  in 
Palestine,  I  met  a  German  student  who  was  accumulating  ma 
terials  for  the  History  of  Christianity,  and  studying  the  genius 
of  the  place ;  a  modest  and  learned  man.  It  was  Wehl,  then  un 
known,  since  become  the  first  Arabic  scholar  of  the  day,  and  the 
author  of  the  life  of  Mohammed.  But  for  the  German  profes 
sors  of  this  race,  their  name  is  legion.  I  think  there  are  more 
than  ten  at  Berlin  alone. 

"I  told  you  just  now  that  I  was  going  up  town  to-morrow, 
because  I  always  made  it  a  rule  to  interpose  when  affairs  of 
State  were  on  the  carpet.  Otherwise,  I  never  interfere.  I  hear 
of  peace  and  war  in  newspapers,  but  I  am  never  alarmed  except 
when  I  am  informed  that  the  sovereigns  want  treasure;  then  I 
know  that  monarchs  are  serious. 

"A  few  years  back  we  were  applied  to  by  Russia.  Now,  there 
has  been  no  friendship  between  the  Court  of  St.  Petersburg  and 
my  family.  It  has  Dutch  connections,  which  have  generally  sup 
plied  it ;  and  our  representations  in  favor  of  the  Polish  Hebrews, 
a  numerous  race,  but  the  most  suffering  and  degraded  of  all 
tribes,  have  not  been  very  agreeable  to  the  Czar.  However,  cir 
cumstances  drew  to  an  approximation  between  the  Romanoffs 
and  the  Sidonias.  I  resolved  to  go  myself  to  St.  Petersburg.  I 
had,  on  my  arrival,  an  interview  with  the  Russian  Minister  of 
Finance,  Count  Cancrin.  I  beheld  the  son  of  a  Lithuanian  Jew. 
The  loan  was  connected  with  the  affairs  of  Spain ;  I  resolved  on 
repairing  to  Spain  from  Russia.  I  traveled  without  intermission. 
I  had  an  audience  immediately  on  my  arrival  with  the  Spanish 
Minister,  Senor  Mendizabel;  I  beheld  one  like  myself,  the  son 
of  a  Nuevo  Christiano,  a  Jew  of  Arragon.  In  consequence  of 
what  transpired  at  Madrid,  I  went  straight  to  Paris  to  consult 


274  L£O  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

the  President  of  the  French  Council:  I  beheld  the  son  of  a 
French  Jew,  a  hero,  an  imperial  marshal,  and  very  properly  so, 
for  who  should  be  military  heroes  if  not  those  who  worship  the 
Lord  of  Hosts?" 

"And  is  Soult  a  Hebrew?" 

"Yes,  and  others  of  the  French  marshals,  and  the  most  fa 
mous,  Massena,  for  example ;  his  real  name  was  Manasseh ;  but 
to  my  anecdote.  The  consequence  of  our  consultations  was,  that 
some  Northern  power  should  be  applied  to  in  a  friendly  and  me- 
diative  capacity.  We  fixed  on  Prussia,  and  the  President  of  the 
Council  made  an  application  to  the  Prussian  Minister,  who  at 
tended  a  few  days  after  our  conference.  Count  Arnim  entered 
the  cabinet  and  I  beheld  a  Russian  Jew.  So  you  see,  my  dear 
Coningbsy,  that  the  world  is  governed  by  very  different  per 
sonages  from  what  is  imagined  by  those  who  are  not  behind  the 
scenes." 

"You  startle  and  deeply  interest  me." 

"You  must  study  physiology,  my  dear  child.  Pure  races  of 
Caucasus  may  be  persecuted,  but  they  can  not  be  depised,  except 
by  the  brutal  ignorance  of  some  mongrel  breed,  that  brandishes 
fagots  and  howls  extermination,  but  is  itself  exterminated,  with 
out  permission,  by  that  irresistible  law  of  Nature  which  is  fatal 
to  ours. 

"Favored  by  Nature  and  by  Nature's  God,  we  produced  the 
lyre  of  David;  we  gave  you  Isaiah  and  Ezekiel;  they  are  our 
Olynthians,  our  Philippics.  Favored  by  Nature  we  still  remain; 
but  in  exact  proportion  as  we  have  been  favored  by  Nature  we 
have  been  persecuted  by  man.  After  a  thousand  struggles,  after 
acts  of  heroic  courage  that  Rome  has  never  equaled;  deeds  of 
divine  patriotism  that  Athens,  and  Sparta,  and  Carthage  have 
never  excelled;  we  have  endured  fifteen  hundred  years  of  super 
natural  slavery,  during  which  every  device  that  can  degrade  or 
destroy  man  has  been  the  destiny  that  we  have  sustained  and 
baffled.  The  Hebrew  child  has  entered  adolescence  only  to  learn 
that  he  was  the  Pariah  of  that  ungrateful  Europe  that  owes  to 
him,  the  best  part  of  its  laws,  a  fine  portion  of  its  literature,  all 
its  religion.  Great  poets  require  a  public;  we  have  been  con- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  275 

,  ',    '       '!  !>  W    •*  -...- 

tent  with  the  immortal  melodies  that  we  sung  more  than  two 
thousand  years  ago  by  the  waters  of  Babylon  and  wept.  They 
record  our  triumphs;  they  solace  our  affliction.  Great  orators 
are  the  creatures  of  popular  assemblies ;  we  were  permitted  only 
by  stealth  to  meet  even  in  our  temples.  And  as  for  great  writers, 
the  catalogue  is  not  blank.  What  are  all  the  school  men,  Apuinas 
himself,  to  Maimonides,  and  as  for  modern  philosophy,  all 
springs  from  Spinoza. 

"But  the  passionate  and  creative  genius,  that  is  the  nearest 
link  to  Divinity,  and  which  no  human  tyranny  can  destroy,  though 
it  can  divert  it ;  that  should  have  stirred  the  hearts  of  nations  by 
its  inspired  sympathy,  or  governed  senates  by  its  burning  elo 
quence,  has  found  a  medium  for  its  expression,  to  which,  in  spite 
of  your  prejudices  and  your  evil  passions,  you  have  been  obliged 
to  bow.  The  ear,  the  voice,  the  fancy  teeming  with  combina 
tions,  the  imagination  fervent  with  picture  and  emotion,  that  came 
from  Caucasus,  and  which  we  have  preserved  unpolluted,  have 
endowed  us  with  almost  the  exclusive  privilege  of  Music;  that 
science  of  harmonious  sounds,  which  the  ancients  recognized  as 
most  divine,  and  deified  in  the  person  of  their  most  beautiful 
creation.  I  speak  not  of  the  past;  though  were  I  to  enter  into 
the  history  of  the  lords  of  melody,  you  would  find  it  in  the  annals 
of  Hebrew  genius.  But  at  this  moment  even,  musical  Europe 
is  ours.  There  is  not  a  company  of  singers,  not  an  orchestra  in 
a  single  capital,  that  is  not  crowded  with  our  children  under  the 
feigned  names  which  they  adopt  to  conciliate  the  dark  aversion 
which  your  posterity  will  some  day  disclaim  with  shame  and  dis 
gust.  Almost  every  great  composer,  skilled  musician,  almost 
every  voice  that  ravishes  you  with  its  transporting  strains,  springs 
from  our  tribes.  The  catalogue  is  too  vast  to  enumerate;  too 
illustrious  to  dwell  for  a  moment  on  secondary  names,  however 
eminent.  Enough  for  us  that  the  three  great  creative  minds  to 
whose  exquisite  inventions  all  nations  at  this  moment  yield — 
Rossini,  Meyerbeer,  Mendelssohn,  are  of  Hebrew  race;  and  little 
do  your  men  of  fashion,  your  muscadins  of  Paris,  and  your  dan 
dies  of  London,  as  they  thrill  into  raptures  at  the  notes  of  a  Pasta 


2/6  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

or  a  Grisi — little  do  they  suspect  that  they  are  offering  their  hom 
age  to  'the  sweet-singers  of  Israel !' " 

It  will  be  observed  that  DTsraeli  assumes  and  insists  upon 
classing  the  Jews  as  a  race  and  not  as  a  religious  community. 

When  the  "Lasker  Resolutions"  and  Bismarck's  treatment  of 
them  were  before  the  American  Congress,  Mr.  Cox,  the  veteran 
member  from  New  York,  recognized  Jewish  merit  in  the  fol 
lowing  memorable  words : 

"This  is  not  merely  a  matter  of  dignity  or  comity  between 
nations.  It  is  a  matter  of  much  higher  concern.  This  manly  man, 
Herr  Lasker,  was  a  type  of  a  great  class.  He  was  a  friend  of 
labor.  He  was  its  interpreter  and  prophet,  its  friend  and  ad 
viser  in  a  realm  where  the  word  of  the  Kaiser  was  law,  and  lib 
erty  was  suppressed  by  penalty  and  force.  He  was  the  repre 
sentative  of  democracy  in  the  largest  sense  of  that  term.  He 
was  an  orator  and  a  splendid  type  of  the  great  race  that  has 
come  down  to  us  from  the  'chosen  people'  in  earlier  times.  The 
tribute  paid  to  his  memory  was  also  a  tribute  to  the  race  from 
which  he  sprung — a  race  whose  history  runs  back  into  the  dawn 
of  time.  To  that  race  we  owe  our  entire  system  of  ethics  and 
the  preservation  of  the  foundation  of  religion.  Amid  centuries 
of  glorious  nati6nality,  and  through  long  ages  of  intolerance  and 
most  cruel  persecution,  Hebrew  virtue,  pride  and  courage  re 
main  untarnished  by  the  hand  of  time.  In  everything  that  broad 
ens  civilization,  Hebrew  genius,  intellect,  research  and  learning 
stand  forth  pre-eminent. 

"What  a  race  has  been  stricken  by  the  death  of  this  dis 
tinguished  German  and  Hebrew?  I  say  it  is  only  a  part  of  the 
history  of  persecutions  which  in  this  day  of  the  nineteenth  cen 
tury  are  a  humiliation  and  not  to  be  tolerated  in  this  country. 
In  the  Middle  Ages  one  nation  alone  sacrificed  six  hundred 
thousand  Jews.  They  were  the  flower  of  science,  the  devotees 
of  literature,  skilled  in  art,  and  enthusiastic  in  poetry.  They  were 
men  of  industry,  enterprise  and  commerce,  honest,  social  and 
hospitable.  I  would  not  suffer  for  a  moment  that  we  should  give 
even  a  possible  shadow  of  excuse  for  bowing  before  this  terrible 
specter  of  persecution. 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  277 

"Twice  I  have  called  the  attention  of  the  House — on  the  2ist 
of  May,  1880,  and  again  on  the  3ist  of  July,  1882 — to  the  perse 
cutions  of  the  Jews  in  Russia.  We  have  become  used  to  the  per 
secutions  in  that  country.  It  is  a  part  of  its  barbarism.  But  it 
is  only  within  the  past  few  years  that  the  same  ruthless  system 
of  persecution  has  obtained  in  Germany.  The  time  of  Hebraic 
liberty  will  come,  and  I  trust  soon,  as  it  has  come  in  this  and  some 
countries  in  Europe,  notably  in  Spain,  which  has  invited  the  He 
brew  exiles  of  Germany  to  her  shores.  To  the  Hebrew  race  it  is 
proclaimed  by  God  Himself  in  Holy  Writ:  'I  will  shake  all  the 
nations,  and  the  desire  of  all  the  nations  shall  come,  and  I  will 
fill  this  house  with  glory,  said  Jehovah  the  Lord  of  Hosts/ 

"It  becomes  us  especially,  who  have  offered  an  asylum  to 
these  stricken  people,  and  in  view  of  their  remarkable  attain 
ments  in  all  that  civilizes  and  blesses,  that  the  indirect  insult  to 
their  race,  through  one  of  its  distinguished  sons,  shall  receive  no 
mitigation  by  tenders  of  semi-sympathy  to  the  organ  of  auto 
cratic  power,  even  where  that  power  is  concealed  in  the  silken 
glove  of  an  accomplished  statesman. 

"If  gentlemen  have  only  noticed  the  signs  of  the  times  in 
Russia,  in  Austria,  and  especially  in  Germany — where  the  anti- 
Semitic  movement  is  fomented  by  those  very  nearly  connected 
with  Prince  Bismarck — they  will  see  the  animus  of  this  attempt 
to  humiliate  us,  or  rather  of  the  insult  cast  upon  the  American 
Congress  over  the  dead  body  of  Herr  Lasker." 

I  could  multiply  instances  without  limit  to  show  the  esteem  in 
which  the  Jews  as  such  are  held.  We  have  our  class  defects  for 
which  we  all  suffer,  and  which  each  individual  must  live  down, 
but  we  also  have  class  virtues  for  which  every  Jew  gets  credit 
until  he  proves  himself  an  exception  to  his  class.  I  repeat, 
that  in  our  charities  we  should  not  confine  ourselves  to  Jews, 
and  indeed  we  do  not.  Having  alleviated  the  wants  of  those  near 
est  and  dearest  to  us,  we  should  then  extend  our  aid  to  others. 
That  such  is  our  habit  is  proven  by  countless  instances.  Sir 
Moses  Montefiore  devoted  his  life  to  Jewish  charity,  but  having 
his  hands  strengthened  by  every  civilized  nation  in  Europe  he 


2/8  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

was  enabled  to  extend  his  sphere  of  usefulness.*  To-day  the 
world  is  offering  tributes  of  joy  on  his  centenary  and  is  extoll 
ing  the  greatest  philanthropist  of  the  age;  and  yet  he  is  recog 
nized  as  having  kept  always  prominently  before  him  as  a  first 
duty  the  ministration  to  Jewish  suffering : 

"This  above  all, — to  thine  ownself  be  true ; 
And  it  must  follow,  as  the  night  the  day, 
Thou  canst  not  then  be  false  to  any  man." 

*Written  during  the  year  1885,  while  the  great  philanthropist  was  alive 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Wherein  is  considered  the  interest  of  society  in  the  preservation 
of  the  Jews  as  such. 

If  it  be  true  that  society  at  large  would  be  benefited  by  th« 
extinction  of  the  Jews  as  such,  or  by  the  decadence  of  their  dis 
tinctive  manners,  customs  and  beliefs,  the  arguments  which  I 
have  employed  lose  all  their  force.  It  will  be  observed  that  in 
what  has  previously  been  written  I  have  addressed  myself  to  the 
Jews  as  such,  from  a  common  locus  standi,  and  that  society  at 
large  has  not  been  considered  in  the  discussion.  Thus  far  I  have 
devoted  myself  to  inquiring  the  benefits  that  will  inure  to  the 
Jews  from  the  preservation  of  their  solidarity.  It  remains  to 
be  considered  how  the  world  will  be  affected  if  the  views  I  hold 
shall  prevail  and  be  followed  by  the  Jews.  If  it  were  possible 
that  the  Jews  could  be  benefited  by  pursuing  a  course  which 
would  entail  a  disadvantage  to  the  general  public,  that  disadvan 
tage  would  be  an  irresistible  and  unanswerable  argument 
against  the  pursuit  of  that  course.  Every  man  and  every  class 
of  men  have  the  inalienable  right  to  exercise  and  enjoy  the  largest 
liberty  compatible  with  the  good  order  and  happiness  of  society, 
and  in  correlation  society  has  the  inalienable  right  to  abridge  the 
liberties  of  individuals  or  classes  to  the  extent  required  by  the 
good  order  and  happiness  of  society.  Upon  these  correlative 
rights  are  founded  the  whole  structure  of  political  and  social  gov 
ernment.  Whenever  either  right  is  infringed,  the  equipoise  is 
disturbed,  the  structure  is  in  danger  of  downfall. 

It  is  easy  to  formulate  this  rule,  but  none  is  so  difficult  to 
apply.  The  adjustment  of  these  rights  depends  upon  human 
minds  and  hearts,  and  the  inherent  fallibility  of  both  is  exhibited 
in  their  work.  The  application  of  the  rule  to  the  question  under 
consideration  is  fraught  with  great  difficulty.  Theorists  and  vis 
ionaries  may  content  themselves  with  the  argument  that  if  the 

279 


28O  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Jews  b6  sincere  in  their  manners,  customs  and  beliefs,  any  abridg 
ment  thereof  would  be  intolerant,  and,  as  intolerance  is  wrong, 
the  Jews  have  a  right  to  exercise  their  manners,  practice  their 
customs  and  employ  their  belief.  But  this  argument  begs  the 
question  by  assuming  that  intolerance  is  a  wrong.  Intolerance 
is  not  always  wrong — for  wrong  may  be  what  is  not  tolerated, 
and  it  is  unquestionably  a  virtue  to  be  intolerant  of  what  is  not 
right.  Truth  is  intolerant  of  error;  virtue  of  evil,  and  against 
such  intolerance  nothing  can  be  urged,  though  the  error  or  evil 
be  practiced  with  never  so  much  sincerity.  It  is  commonly  be 
lieved  that  our  government  is  founded  in  a  large  degree  upon 
the  principle  of  universal  tolerance,  and  this  fancied  element 
of  our  institutions  is  extolled  as  one  of  its  most  attractive 
features. 

This  belief  is  an  erroneous  one.  I  am  aware  that  the  founders 
of  our  Government,  warmed  by  the  French  Revolution  and  heated 
by  our  own,  delivered  themselves  of  many  loose  expressions, 
even  in  our  laws  and  public  documents,  that  gave  color  to  the  idea 
that  this  is  a  country  of  universal  tolerance,  but  a  moment's  re 
flection  will  demonstrate  that  the  idea  is  false  and  unfounded. 
The  experience  of  the  world  shows  that  in  the  struggle  between 
the  rights  of  individuals  and  the  rights  of  society  as  represented 
by  governments,  the  latter  always  prevailed,  and  to  guard  in  a 
measure  against  a  recurrence  of  that  evil,  the  principle  was  in 
grafted  upon  our  Constitution,  that  not  only  should  individuals 
be  unrestrained  except  as  required  by  the  public  good,  but  that 
in  considering  the  propriety  or  expediency  of  restriction  every 
doubt  should  be  in  favor  of  the  individual.  This  is  written  every 
where  between  and  on  the  lines,  and  this  is  the  extent  to  which 
we  have  traveled  toward  universal  tolerance.  To  have  gone  fur 
ther  would  have  exceeded  the  bounds  of  reason. 

Freedom  of  conscience  is  a  right  which  is  enjoyed  inde 
pendent  of  governmental  license,  and  which  is'  practiced  in  spite 
of  governmental  inhibition.  Torquemada  himself,  with  all  the 
machinery  of  the  inquisition,  and  backed  by  all  the  power  of 
Castile  and  Arragon  could  not  prevent  the  weakest  and  poorest 
Jew  in  Spain  from  denying  Christ  in  his  heart.  The  utmost  that 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  2&I 

can  be  done  by  power  is  to  prevent  the  promulgation  of  beliefs, 
and  the  practice  of  obnoxious  forms  of  religion  or  inhibited  man 
ners  and  customs.  This  is  the  extent  of  human  power,  and  to 
that  extent  it  may  be  exercised  whenever  its  exercise  is  demanded 
by  consideration  of  the  greatest  good  to  all  and  the  least  pressure 
upon  any  of  the  members  of  society. 

As  a  rule,  the  power  has  been  employed  to  oppress  individuals 
and  classes,  rather  than  to  protect  society.  It  is  abused  oftener 
than  legitimately  exercised,  but  it  exists  none  the  less.  Gun 
powder  has  perhaps  done  more  harm  than  good,  but  its  well  rec 
ognized  evidence  as  a  physical  and  mechanical  force  is  not  there 
by  impaired.  Such  instruments  are  given  to  mankind  to  be  used 
at  their  peril.  When  mountains  are  leveled  by  explosions  to 
make  highways  for  commerce,  when  sunken  reefs  are  blasted  to 
make  safe  passage  for  ships,  we  give  thanks  for  the  discovery 
or  invention  of  dynamite;  but  when  fine  buildings  are  demol 
ished  and  innocent  lives  destroyed  by  the  same  agency,  we  are 
apt  to  consider  it  a  curse  rather  than  a  blessing.  Our  maledic 
tions,  however,  should  be  directed  to  those  who  misuse  the  power, 
rather  than  to  the  power  itself,  and  we  should  address  ourselves 
to  protecting  ourselves  against  the  misuse  rather  than  against 
the  thing  which  is  misused.  Dynamite,  without  evil  men,  would 
be  an  unmixed  blessing,  but  evil  men,  even  without  dynamite, 
will  always  be  a  curse.  To  drop  the  metaphor  and  return  to  our 
subject  proper,  I  would  say  that  we  should  not  and  may  not  'decry 
intolerance  any  more  than  we  should  bewail  the  invention  of  dy 
namite,  for  if  intolerance  be  always  directed  against  evil  it  would 
be  an  unmixed  blessing.  But  who  shall  decide  when  the  power 
should  be  exercised? 

The  repository  of  a  power  that  is  not  restrained  by  a  higher 
must,  in  the  nature  of  things,  exercise  that  power  in  its  own  dis 
cretion  and  at  its  own  peril.  Every  government  is  in  its  internal 
affairs  sovereign.  Society  is  sovereign  in  its  own  sphere.  So 
ciety  must  always  judge  what  it  will  tolerate  and  what  it  will  not 
endure.  For  an  error  it  is  responsible  to  posterity  and  to  God. 
To  limit  the  liberties  of  others  is  a  dangerous  exercise  of  power, 
and  one  fraught  with  grave  responsibility,  and,  as  society  is  al- 


282  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

ways  stronger  than  individuals,  the  exercise  may  be  delayed  with 
out  danger,  and  should  be  avoided  except  in  cases  where  no  doubt 
exists  as  to  the  propriety  thereof.  But  when  no  doubt  exists  and 
the  institution  to  be  suppressed  is  unquestionably  fraught  with 
great  danger  to  the  well-being  and  safety  of  society,  no  maudlin 
sentiment  can  or  should  interfere. 

To  illustrate:  suppose  that  a  religious  sect  should  spring  up 
in  the  United  States  whose  exercises  required  the  sacrifice  of 
human  life  (a  crime  that  ignorant  fanatics  attribute  to  the  Jews), 
and  suppose  that,  in  the  practice  of  this  religion  in  all  sincerity, 
human  beings  were  slain;  does  any  one  maintain  that  such  things 
should  be  permitted  in  deference  to  a  visionary  idea  that  to  pro 
hibit  it  would  abridge  the  freedom  of  conscience? 

Society,  like  individuals,  may  and  must  protect  itself.  We 
have  laws  against  polygamy  which  punish  it  as  a  crime,  although 
practiced  in  the  name  of  religion ;  and  we  have  laws  under  which 
we  can  segregate  and  even  banish  lepers  and  other  infected  per 
sons  whose  presence  in  the  country  is  dangerous  to  the  public. 
We  are  intolerant  of  personal  liberty  in  a  thousand  ways,  and  all 
upon  the  principle  that  the  good  of  the  whole  is  better  than  the 
good  of  any  part,  and  that  every  man  is  presumed  to  surrender 
to  society,  in  return  for  its  benefits,  so  much  of  his  natural  rights 
as  the  well-being  and  safety  of  society  requires.  Every  man  is 
master  of  himself  and  his  property,  but  subject  always  to  the  limi 
tation  that  the  control  of  both  must  not  interfere  with  the  public 
weal.  The  old  maxim  of  the  law  embodies  the  principle :  Sic  tuo 
utere  ut  alienum  non  laedas,  "so  use  what  is  thine  as  not  to  injure 
what  belongs  to  others." 

To  guard  against  misapprehension,  I  repeat  that  while  the 
power  to  suppress  exists  and  the  repository  of  that  power  must 
judge  when  it  shall  be  exercised,  that  repository  exercises  the 
power  at  his  peril.  It  is  responsible  to  God  above  all  for  its  acts. 
He  invests  all  men  with  the  power,  but  none  with  the  right  to 
do  wrong.  If  I  be  correct  in  my  reasoning,  it  follows  indis 
putably  that  society  may  frown  upon  Judaism  and  suppress  Jew 
ish  institutions,  manners  and  customs,  if  these  institutions,  man- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  283 

ners  and  customs  do  not  consist  with  the  general  good,  or,  to  be 
more  accurate,  if  they  endanger  the  general  welfare. 

If,  therefore,  any  one  be  sincerely  intolerant  of  the  Jews,  let 
us  not  regard  him  as  perversely  violating  a  great  principle,  but 
rather  as  one  who  is  honestly  misapplying  it.  Let  us  strive  to 
show  that  there  exists  no  occasion  for  this  intolerance  against  us, 
instead  of  denying  the  right  of  its  exercise  at  all.  To  do  other 
wise  is  to  be  intolerant  ourselves — a  fault  not  the  least  prominent, 
alas !  that  may  be  laid  at  our  doors.  I  am  firmly  impressed  with 
the  conviction  that  there  exists  a  strong  prejudice  against  us; 
that  to  a  large  extent  it  is  honest;  that  to  some  extent  it  is  pro 
voked  by  ourselves,  but  that  altogether  it  is  unwarranted.  I  be 
lieve  that  the  world  would  be  the  greater  loser  by  the  extinction 
of  the  Jews,  and  in  the  succeeding  pages  I  shall  endeavor  to  show 
as  briefly  and  as  dispassionately  as  I  can  why  I  would  regard  it  as 
a  universal  calamity  to  wipe  out  that  great  people  in  whose  an 
nals  mixed  with  all  their  faults  are  to  be  found  the  highest  ex 
amples  of  all  that  is  noble  and  sublime  in  man. 

"In  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed ;  be 
cause  thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice."  (Genesis  xxii.  18.) 

If  I  shall  be  able  to  show  that  most  of  the  faults  laid  at  the 
door  of  the  Jews  are  common  to  all  men  and  are  not  distinctly 
Jewish  faults ;  if  I  shall  further  show  that  their  distinctive  faults 
are  mainly  due  to  enforced  conditions  of  life  and  protracted  per 
secutions  ;  if  I  shall  show  that  no  other  people  under  similar  cir 
cumstances  resisted  temptations  so  well,  and  preserved  virtues 
so  long ;  if  I  shall  further  show  that  in  the  midst  of  temptations  to 
evil,  they  not  only  resisted  evil,  but  developed  positive  virtues 
and  great  intellectual  power;  and  if  I  shall  be  able  finally  to  show 
that  the  voluntary  tenets  and  practices  of  the  Jews  are  responsible 
for  the  good  that  is  in  the  Jew,  and  not  chargeable  with  the  evil, 
then  I  take  it  the  world  is  better  off  for  the  existence  and  preser 
vation  of  the  Jews  as  such.  Let  us  discuss  the  premises  in  order 
to  support  the  conclusion. 

Character  is  a  conglomerate.  It  is  made  up  of  inheritance, 
education,  association  and  surrounding  circumstances.  An  indi 
vidual  who  is  born  of  worthy  ancestors,  who  is  properly  edu- 


284  LEO  N.  LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

cated,  who  mingles  with  unexceptionable  associates,  and  is  sur 
rounded  only  by  ennobling  influences,  rises  to  the  fullest  stature 
of  moral  manhood.  There  may  be  an  occasional  exception;  by 
a  miracle  of  God  the  sun  once  stood  still.  But  if  any  of  the  afore 
said  elements  of  character  be  omitted,  and  in  their  stead  be 
brought  a  factor  of  evil,  the  result  depends  upon  the  relative 
strength  and  endurance  of  the  contending  elements  of  good  and 
evil. 

Thus  we  see  not  infrequently  the  offspring  of  noble  parents 
disgrace  the  patronymic  by  reason  of  evil  associations  or  im 
proper  education;  while  on  the  other  hand,  from  the  lowest 
origin  spring  the  grandest  heroes.  These  seeming  anomalies 
are  but  examples  of  a  great  law  of  human  development.  The 
most  hardened  criminals  have  been  reclaimed  by  proper  influ 
ences  ;  the  loftiest  natures  have  been  degraded  by  the  temptation 
that  assailed  their  weakest  point.  None  may  cease  so  far  to  be 
human  as  to  retain  no  spark  of  the  Divine.  None  may  rise  so 
far  toward  the  angels  as  to  retain  no  taint  of  the  brute. 

Goethe  wrote  somewhere,  I  think  in  his  "Wahrheit  und 
Dichtung"  that  no  man  had  ever  had  all  the  good  eliminated 
from  his  nature.  Walpole  held  that  every  man  had  his  price. 
Both  were  right.  There  is  something  divine  in  man  that  corrod 
ing  influences  can  not  destroy,  and  there  is  something  brutal  in 
him  that  subjects  him  to  temptation,  which,  if  it  fits  his  weak 
ness,  will  cause  his  fall.  Whatever  be  the  native  qualities  of  a 
man  or  a  people  they  will  have  their  complexion  altered  more 
or  less  by  influences  brought  to  bear  thereon  for  good  or  evil. 
The  character  that  is  susceptible  of  the  highest  improvement  in 
response  to  the  least  influence,  and  that  is  proof  against  degrada 
tion  for  the  longest  period  and  through  the  most  numerous  and 
trying  temptations,  is  the  most  sterling.  If  it  can  be  analyzed 
and  understood,  it  should  be  emulated  and  preserved. 

Nothing  is  so  degrading  as  contumely.  Self-respect  is  the 
sheet-anchor  of  personal  honor,  and  the  respect  of  others  is  the 
vital  principle  of  self-respect.  It  matters  not  if  the  contempt 
and  contumely  to  which  one  is  subjected  be  deserved  or  not,  if  it 
be  exhibited  toward  a  man  it  causes  him  to  shrink  in  sensitive- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  285 

ness  from  the  world's  gaze,  it  engenders  his  indignation  and 
hatred,  it  breeds  a  spirit  of  vengeance,  and  finally  he  broods 
until  vengeance  is  achieved  through  crime,  or  peace  is  secured 
in  a  desperate  and  ignoble  indifference.  How  full  is  life  of 
illustrations  to  this  rule.  Every  prison  is  full  of  creatures  noble 
once,  but  driven  by  the  disgrace  of  the  first  fault  to  the  madness 
of  professional  crime,  or  reckless  indifference  to  disgrace.  When 
from  a  prison  career — where  the  surroundings  are  reeking  with 
crime,  corruption  and  temptation — a  man  emerges  with  few 
faults  and  many  virtues,  he  has  demonstrated  a  heroic  and  manly 
character  that  merits  all  praise. 

After  the  battle  of  Hastings  in  1066,  the  Normans  took 
possession  of  England.  They  found  in  the  Saxons  the  sturdiest 
and  most  liberty-loving  and  incorruptible  people  of  Europe,  and 
yet  ere  long  the  influence  of  power  and  wealth,  persecution  and 
bribery  overcame  the  Saxon  purity  and  ingrafted  upon  the  parent 
tree  a  Norman  scion  that  has  borne  most  of  the  English  fruit. 
History  is  full  of  examples  to  prove  how  easy  it  is  to  corrupt  a 
people  and  undermine  their  manhood. 

It  records  radical  changes  in  the  character  and  constitution 
of  every  nation,  and  but  few  in  the  march  of  two  thousand 
years  have  escaped  utter  destruction. 

"Assyria,  Greece,  Rome,  Carthage,  what  are  they? 

********* 

their  shores  obey 

The  stranger,  slave  or  savage;  their  decay 
Has  dried  up  realms  to  deserts." 

The  influences  that  have  brought  about  the  decadence  of  so 
many  mighty  empires  are  the  temptations  and  pressures  to  which 
they  have  been  subjected.  As  a  rule,  human  conduct  is  governed 
by  the  fear  of  punishment  or  the  hope  of  reward.  By  these 
means  the  virtues  of  men  and  of  peoples  have  been  overcome 
since  the  first  fall.  Miraculous  almost  is  the  escape  of  him  who 
is  driven  to  evil  by  fear  or  tempted  by  rewards. 

The  Jews  since  the  dawn  of  the  Christian  era  have  been 


286  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

subjected  to  the  degrading  influence  t>f  the  world's  contumely, 
that  fruitful  source  of  desperate  corruption  and  shameless  brut- 
ishness.  They  have,  moreover,  been  impelled  by  the  fear  of  per 
secution  and  the  hope  of  reward  to  forsake  their  creed,  to  abjure 
their  traditions,  and  surrender  their  individuality. 

It  has  been  a  mighty  battle  that  has  been  waged  for  nearly  a 
thousand  years.  There  has  been  ranged  on  one  side  the  sneers 
and  the  power  of  the  world,  against  a  few  isolated  creatures  with 
no  country,  no  system  of  laws  other  than  those  of  religion,  no  or 
ganization,  no  vernacular — with  nothing  to  sustain  them  but  only 
the  creed  that  God  himself  taught  them,  and  the  traditions  and 
customs  that  came  down  to  them  as  a  sacred  trust  from  those 
who  were  admitted  even  into  the  Divine  Presence.  From  such  a 
struggle,  not  yet  ended,  the  Jews,  though  victorious,  have  not 
come  out  unscathed. 

In  many  instances  the  practice  of  religion  has  been  with 
them  the  strict  observance  of  rites  and  ceremonies  and  the  utter 
disregard  of  morality,  which  is  the  essence  of  the  religion. 
Driven  from  the  ordinary  walks  of  life,  they  have  become  money 
lenders  par  excellence,  and  being  forced  even  in  this  vocation  to 
duplicity  and  chicanery  for  defensive  purposes,  these  evils  have, 
in  a  large  measure,  become  a  part  of  their  character.  Compelled 
to  be  hypocrites,  hypocrisy  has  entered  into  their  composition, 
and  being  denied  the  benefit  of  the  laws  of  even  natural  rights, 
they  have  come  to  look  upon  Gentiles  as  enemies  whom  it  is  law 
ful  to  spoil.  Falsehood,  deceit,  hypocrisy,  dishonesty,  ignorance, 
uncleanliness,  boorishness,  may  all  be  laid  at  their  door.  They 
have  become  and  have  been  false,  deceitful,  hypocritical,  because 
the  world  forced  them  thereto  either  by  degrading  or  oppressing 
them;  they  have  become  and  have  been  dishonest  because  by 
dishonesty  they  lost  no  position,  nor  by  integrity  could  they  gain 
any. 

They  have  been  and  have  become  ignorant  at  times  because 
education  was  denied  them  in  the  ordinary  course,  and  if  stealthily 
acquired,  received  no  recognition.  They  have  been  and  remain 
uncleanly  and  boorish  in  some  countries  because  they  have  been 
driven  from  general  society  and  denied  any  of  their  own.  What 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  287 

people  similarly  situated  could  have  escaped  the  faults  that  are 
found  among  the  Jews  ?  What  people,  under  the  most  favorable 
circumstances  and  conditions,  is  free  from  them?  Are  not  these 
faults  common  to  all,  and  are  they  not  the  rule  rather  than  the 
exception  with  the  most  highly  favored  among  the  nations  of 
the  globe  ?  The  municipal  laws  of  every  modern  civilized  people 
are  chiefly  directed  to  the  punishment  of  crimes  among  which 
stand  prominently  perjury  and  theft.  Deceit  and  falsehood  are 
the  fruitful  sources  from  which  nearly  all  of  modern  litigation 
springs.  It  requires  no  search  to  find  all  of  these  faults  among 
the  most  cultured  and  freest  peoples  of  the  earth — and  Diogenes 
might  still  hunt  with  his  lantern  for  honest  men.  With  all  the 
appliances  of  modern  science  pestilence  has  not  been  subdued, 
and  the  filth  prevailing  among  the  people  at  large  is  the  greatest 
promoter  of  these  plagues.  The  Jews  usually  escape,  for,  despite 
the  charge  of  uncleanness  made  against  them,  they  are  to  such  an 
extent  superior  in  this  respect  to  the  Gentiles  that  the  plagues 
seem  to  pass  them  over  now  as  it  did  in  Egypt  centuries  upon 
centuries  ago. 

There  is  but  little  that  is  characteristic  of  the  Jew  in  the  faults 
of  the  Jews.  They  have  weaknesses  like  other  men,  they  sin 
like  other  men.  But  the  Jew  is  everywhere  prominent  as  an 
object  of  comment,  and  the  development  of  his  shortcomings 
gives  rise  to  more  discussion  and  makes  a  deeper  impression  than 
that  of  other  men.  It  is  the  tendency  of  the  human  mind  to 
generalize.  I  have  already  shown  how  prone  we  are  to  adopt 
general  rules  to  explain  particular  phenomena.  The  Jew  being  a 
prominent  object  of  attention,  the  superficial  observer  (who  is 
largely  in  the  majority)  is  apt  to  notice  particularly  the  failings 
of  such  as  he  knows,  and  to  generalize  therefrom  the  want  of 
virtue  among  the  Jews  as  a  class.  Nothing  could  be  shallower. 

If  it  were  true  that  Jews  are  more  corrupt  than  other  men, 
the  fact  would  easily  be  explained  by  their  history,  and  thus 
relieve  the  Jewish  religion,  customs  and  traditions  of  the  re 
sponsibility  therefor.  A  man  is  not  wicked  because  he  is  a  Jew, 
but  in  spite  of  it.  But  it  is  not  true  that  they  are  worse  than 
other  men  in  the  same  walks  of  life.  The  Jewish  merchant,  law- 


288  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

yer,  doctor,  artisan  or  laborer  is  in  all  respects  the  peer  of  the 
members  of  the  same  occupations — in  many  respects  he  is  facile 
princeps. 

I  have  admitted  much  more  as  chargeable  against  the  Jews 
than  can  be  established  by  resort  to  history.  I  have  done  so  be 
cause  I  am  arguing  to  convince  others,  not  to  please  myself,  and 
my  purpose  will  be  best  accomplished  by  the  course  I  have  pur 
sued. 

The  intelligent  student  of  history  and  of  men  will  require  no 
argument  to  explain  a  state  of  facts  that  he  knows  does  not  exist 
even  though  I  admit  it;  the  prejudiced  and  ignorant  would  not 
believe  a  denial  that  they  will  not  verify,  but  they  may  yield  to 
an  argument  that  they  can  not  refute  and  which  destroys  the 
force  of  that  state  of  facts  even  though  it  existed. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  Jewish  religion,  customs  or  traditions 
that  should  breed  wickedness  or  corruption.  The  traditions  relate 
to  deeds  of  heroism  and  courage,  sublime  resignation  and  charity, 
self-sacrifice,  martyrdom  and  faith.  The  Jewish  customs  and 
practices  are  simple,  healthful  and  pure;  they  are  nearly  all 
founded  on  the  Mosaic  laws,  which  modern  science  approves  as 
the  most  wonderful  code  of  sanitary  and  domestic  regulation  ever 
formulated.  The  Jewish  religion  teaches  that  the  greatest  piety 
is  morality. 

On  the  contrary,  the  traditions,  customs,  practices  and  religion 
of  this  people  have  bred  heroes  and  statesmen,  savants  and  poets, 
philanthropists  and  Samaritans,  to  such  an  extent  that  though 
composing  but  a  small  fraction  of  the  earth's  population,  the 
Jews  have  given  to  nearly  every  generation  an  immortal  name, 
and  have  shaped  the  destiny  of  nearly  every  government  under 
the  sun  since  and  before  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Jew. 

Let  us  glance  briefly  at  the  chronology  of  the  Jews  since  the 
Christian  era  and  note  the  great  names  that  serve  as  landmarks 
in  modern  Jewish  history. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Wherein  is  Given  a  Brief  Resume  of  Jewish  History  since  the 

Christian  Era. 

For  eight  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of  Christ  the  Jews 
were  the  objects  of  persecution  at  the  hands  of  Pagans,  Chris 
tians  and  Mohammedans.  During  the  first  century  Caligula  per 
secuted  them  in  Rome,  Jerusalem  was  besieged  and  captured  by 
Titus,  the  temple  was  destroyed  and  the  chosen  people  of  God 
driven  from  the  holy  city.  The  stars  that  shone  on  Galilee  looked 
down  upon  a  dispersed  and  desolate  people.  The  pagan  legions 
of  Rome  overspread  the  Holy  Land,  and  the  forests  of  Lebanon 
and  Zion  echoed  the  lamentations  and  shrieks  of  a  devoted  race 
hunted  to  the  death.  Peace  and  security  were  conditions  remem 
bered  only  as  a  time  long  since  departed.  In  the  second  century 
Akiba  became  a  martyr,  and  the  children  of  Israel  were  forbidden 
to  even  enter  the  city  of  their  ancient  glory.  In  the  year  530 
Justinian  formulated  laws  against  the  Jews  that  were  designed 
to  work  their  extirpation,  but,  despite  the  engines  of  destruction 
brought  to  bear  upon  them,  they  survived  and  preserved  their 
customs,  manners,  traditions,  learning  and  religion.  With  the 
beginning  of  the  ninth  century  opened  a  new  era  for  the  Jews. 
Haroun  Al  Rashid,  in  the  Orient,  and  Charlemagne,  in  the  West, 
fostered  and  encouraged  the  talents  of  the  indestructible  and  irre 
pressible  people.  They  rose  to  eminence  in  commerce  and  litera 
ture,  and  became  the  repositories  of  the  wealth  and  the  learning  of 
the  world.  The  Christian  clergy  became  jealous  of  their  power  and 
fomented  new  persecutions,  but  it  required  something  more  than 
priestcraft  to  strike  with  success  at  a  power  so  great  as  theirs. 
In  Morocco  and  Spain  they  became  the  intimates  of  the  rulers, 
and  their  merchant  princes  supplied  the  belligerent  monarchs  of 
Europe  with  the  sinews  of  war.  Great  minds  arose,  and  radical 
reforms  were  instituted  among  them.  The  Scriptures,  by  trans 
lation  and  commentary,  were  brought  nearer  to  the  common 

28Q 


2QO  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

understanding,  and  among  other  reforms  polygamy,  that  relic  of 
Oriental  barbarism,  was  interdicted. 

But  the  two  hundred  halcyon  years  were  at  an  end  when  the 
institution  of  chivalry  was  enabled  to  spend  its  pent-up  and  ex 
travagant  enthusiasm  in  an  effort  to  regain  the  "holy  sepulchre." 
The  fanaticism  aroused  by  Peter  the  Hermit  fell  on  all  heretics 
alike.  The  Jews  were  spoiled  of  their  wealth  to  equip  crusaders, 
and  their  learning  ceased  to  inspire  respect  among  men  who  only 
respected  physical  strength. 

In  France,  Germany  and  England  the  oppression  of  Jews 
was  deemed  a  virtue  in  the  eyes  of  heaven.  But  the  endurance 
of  the  Jews  was  not  overcome.  In  Spain  they  found  a  refuge, 
where  they  could  at  least  exist. 

Here  arose,  in  the  twelfth  century,  the  great  Judah  Hallevi, 
the  great  Aben  Ezra,  and  the  yet  greater  Maimonides. 

Moses  Maimonides,  as  he  is  usually  styled,  his  name  being  in 
fact  Rabbenu  Mosheh  ben  Maimun  Haddayan,  was  born  at 
Cordova,  on  March  30,  1135.  He  lived  to  be  nearly  seventy  years 
of  age.  He  was,  without  doubt,  the  greatest  philosopher  and 
scholar  produced  by  the  Jews  since  the  beginning  of  the  Chris 
tian  era.  No  contemporary  or  other  philosopher  during  the 
Middle  Ages,  Jew  or  Gentile,  approached  him.  He  seems  to 
have  mastered  every  branch  of  learning,  sacred  and  profane,  and 
to  have  possesed  the  rare  genius  of  giving  to  the  world  the  benefit 
of  his  vast  learning  after  distillation  in  his  incomparable  mind. 
As  the  bee  sucks  sweets  from  every  flower  and  yields  them  again 
in  concentrated  and  purified  sweetness,  so  he  gathered  knowledge 
from  every  source  and  gave  it  forth  again,  improved,  digested 
and  made  attractive.  He  acquired  knowledge  and  dispensed  wis 
dom  on  all  subjects.  He  wrote  on  theology,  metaphysics,  mathe 
matics,  astronomy  and  medicine,  and  even  poetry  was  not  beyond 
his  versatile  genius.  As  pure  in  heart  as  he  was  strong  in  mind, 
he  led  an  immaculate  life,  and  declined  to  profit  by  his  sacred 
learning.  Driven  from  Cordova  by  persecution,  he  fled  to  the 
East,  and  his  talents  being  recognized,  he  was  raised  to  the  highest 
position  of  personal  trust.  Saladin,  of  Egypt,  made  him  his 
own  physician,  which  office  he  held  at  the  time  of  his  death, 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  2QI 

which  occurred  at  Cairo  in  1204.  He  wrote  in  Hebrew  and  in 
Arabic,  and  most  of  his  works  have  come  down  to  us.  His 
Mishneh  Tor  ah,  a  systematic  codification  of  the  Jewish  law,  is 
yet  a  text-book  for  Jewish  theolgical  students,  as  is  his  com 
mentary  on  Rosh  Hashanah  and  the  Mishnah.  His  Moreh 
Nebuchim,  or  Guide  to  the  Perplexed,  is  rarely  read  at  the  pres 
ent  time,  but  as  a  work  of  general  interest  to  philosophers  it  is 
still  held  in  high  esteem.  It  is  said  that  Moses  Mendelssohn 
became  great  through  his  earnest  study  of  Maimonides'  Guide. 
I  quote  from  Professor  Shiller  Szinessy,  of  Cambridge,  who  says, 
in  a  short  essay  on  Maimonides:  "To  sum  up  in  a  few  words 
the  merits  of  Maimonides,  we  may  say  that,  with  all  the  disad 
vantages  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived,  he  was  the  greatest 
theologian  and  philosopher  the  Jews  ever  produced,  and  one  of 
the  greatest  the  world  has  seen  to  this  day.  As  a  religious  and 
moral  character,  he  is  equaled  only  by  a  few,  and  surpassed  by 
none." 

Of  Ibn  or  Aben  Ezra,  Dr.  Mendez  de  Solla  writes:  "Abra 
ham  Ben  Meir  Aben  Ezra  was  born  of  a  noble  family  at  the 
beginning  of  the  twelfth  century  at  Toledo.  He  was  a  man  of 
extensive  erudition  and  wonderful  genius,  perfectly  familiar  alike 
with  the  Aristotefian  philosophy  and  the  closest  interwoven  fea 
tures  of  rabbinical  literature.  Taking  in  consideration  the  age 
in  which  he  lived  he  was  really  eminent  as  a  commentator,  gram 
marian,  philosopher,  physician,  astronomer  and  poet.  In  his  fiery 
spirit,  in  the  ardor  of  his  imagination,  and  in  his  humorous  vein 
he  is  unequaled  by  any  of  the  Jewish  literati.  His  style  is  pure, 
expressive  and  original;  his  sentences  are  elegant,  sometimes 
lively  and  full  of  wit,  but  often  so  brief  as  to  be  obscure.  Like 
many  of  his  contemporaries  he  had  a  great  inclination  for  travel 
ing.  This  taste  is  worthy  of  remark  as  presenting  a  striking 
contrast  to  the  life  led  by  the  monks  and  Roman  Catholic  clergy 
of  that  period.  This  desire  of  becoming  personally  acquainted 
with  a  world  in  which  they  met  so  much  hostility  is  especially 
observable  in  Aben  Ezra.  The  various  places  from  which  he 
dated  his  different  works  show  in  a  literal  sense  that  he  was  a 
wanderer  on  the  earth.  As  a  commentator  on  the  scriptures  he  is 


LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

valued  without  exception  by  all.  His  hymn  on  the  soul  is  a 
practical  development  of  the  idea,  that  every  night,  during  sleep 
the  soul,  released  from  the  body,  ascends  to  heaven  to  give  an 
account  of  the  work  done  during  the  day.  His  poetical  works 
extend  also  to  nuptial  hymns,  elegies,  satires,  and  even  a  series 
of  verses  on  the  game  of  chess.  He  visited  also  Palestine  and 
Held  converse  with  the  learned  men  of  Tiberias  upon  the  Maso- 
retic  text  of  the  Bible."  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  Crusades  there  has  been  but  little 
intermission  in  the  persecution  of  the  Jews.  In  1290,  Edward  I. 
expelled  them  from  England ;  eight  years  later  they  were  hunted 
down  by  Reindfleish's  mob  in  Bavaria.  In  1306  they  were  ex 
pelled  by  Philip  the  Fair  from  France,  and  some  years  later 
were  subjected  to  horrible  outrages  in  Austria  and  Bavaria  by 
the  Armleder  mob.  In  1348  there  was  a  general  massacre  of 
Jews  throughout  Germany.  The  Black  Death  was  raging,  and 
to  the  horrors  of  the  plague  were  added  those  of  religious  perse- 
cation.  How  sublime  indeed  was  the  courage  that,  amid  such 
suffering,  could  be  true  to  the  faith  whose  keynote  is  the  mag 
nificent  invocation:  Shemai  Israel  Adonai  Elohenu  Adonai 
Echod. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  follow  in  detail  the  status  of  the  Jews 
throughout  the  period  of  which  I  write.  It  is  one  long  chapter 
of  suffering  and  horror,  throughout  which  shines  ever  resplend 
ent  the  star  of  Jewish  loyalty  to  the  Jewish  faith  and  traditions. 

The  following,  taken  from  an  article  by  Dr.  Julius  Wellhausen, 
of  Greifswald,  will  convey  a  fair  idea  of  their  condition  during 
the  Middle  Ages : 

"Having  according  to  the  later  medieval  system,  no  rights  in 
the  Christian  state,  the  Jews  were  tolerated  only  in  those  terri 
tories  where  the  sovereign  in  the  exercise  of  free  favor  accorded 
them  protection.  This  protection  was  granted  them  in  many  quar 
ters,  but  never  for  nothing.  Numerous  and  various  taxes,  which 
could  be  raised  or  changed  in  a  perfectly  arbitrary  way,  were  ex 
acted  in  exchange.  But  in  countries  where  the  feeling  of  nation 
al  ity  attained  to  a  vigorous  development,  the  spirit  of  toleration 
was  speedily  exhaustel.  The  Jews  were  expelled  by  the  act  of 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  293 

the  State.  England  was  the  first  kingdom  in  which  this  occurred 
(1290)  ;  France  followed  in  1395;  Spain  and  Portugal  in  1492 
and  1495.  In  this  way  it  came  about  that  the  Holy  Roman  Em 
pire,  Germany,  Italy  and  adjoining  districts  became  the  chief 
abode  of  the  Jews.  In  the  anarchy  which  there  prevailed  they 
could  best  maintain  their  separate  attitude,  and  if  they  were  ex 
pelled  from  one  locality  they  readily  found  refuge  in  some  other. 
The  emperor  had  indeed  the  right  of  extirpating  them  altogether, 
with  the  exception  of  a  small  number  to  be  left  as  a  memorial. 
But  in  the  first  place  he  had  in  various  ways  given  up  this  right 
to  the  States  of  the  Empire  and  moreover  his  pecuniary  resources 
were  so  small  that  he  could  not  afford  to  forfeit  the  tax,  which  the 
Jews  as  his  "servi  camerae"  paid  him  for  protecting  their  persons 
and  property.  In  spite  of  many  savage  persecutions  the  Jews 
maintained  their  ground,  especially  in  those  parts  of  Germany 
where  the  political  confusion  was  greatest.  They  even  succeeded 
in  maintaining  a  kind  of  autonomy  by  means  of  an  arrangement, 
in  virtue  of  which  civil  processes  which  they  had  against  each 
other  were  decided  by  their  own  Rabbis  in  accordance  with  the 
law  of  the  Talmud." 

Spain  seems  to  have  been  especially  a  refuge  for  the  Jews  un 
til  about  the  close  of  the  fourteenth  century. 

Here  Mr.  Sen  quoted  at  length  from  Sr.  Mendes  de  Solla!s 
erudite  work  on  "Post  Biblical  History,"  and  we  omit  these 
citations  and  refer  the  reader  to  that  great  contribution  to  Jewish 
lore. 

During  the  reign  of  Dom  Pedro,  the  Cruel,  Samuel  Albulafia 
was  Minister  and  Santob  di  Carrion  the  poet  laureate,  or  rather 
Court  poet.  Albulafia  built,  at  Toledo,  a  magnificent  synagogue 
in  which  the  Jews  openly  worshiped  God  according  to  the  dictates 
of  their  own  consciences.  During  the  reign  of  Alphonso  V.  of 
Portugal,  a  Jew  (1470),  Don  Isaac  Abravanel,  was  privy  coun 
sellor  to  the  king.  Abravanel  was  an  erudite  scholar,  a  financier, 
statesman  and  philanthropist.  In  1484  his  prestige  and  power  in 
creased  by  his  appointment  as  Minister  of  Finance  to  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella. 

Perhaps  no  era  in  the  history  of  Spain    is  so   glorious    and 


294  LEO  N-   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

famous  as  the  reign  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  Young,  beauti 
ful  and  popular,  they  united  two  fond  hearts  in  marriage  and 
buried  in  a  common  crown  the  traditional  hatreds  of  Castile  and 
Arragon.  Under  them  Spain  became  a  nation  and  rapidly  rose 
to  the  proudest  station  among  the  great  powers  of  the  earth. 
The  chivalry  of  Spain  was  world-famous.  Her  poets  charmed 
every  court  in  Europe,  and  the  foundation  was  laid  for  that 
power  which  dominated  .Europe  until  the  English  defeated 
the  "Invincible  Armada."  Under  Ferdinand  and  Isabella, 
Spain  achieved  the  end  of  the  long  and  bloody  wars  that  had 
been  raging  in  Southern  Spain  between  the  Christians  and 
Moors.  The  name  of  Isabella  would  be  immortal  had  she  done 
nothing  else  except  devote  her  jewels  to  the  explorations  of 
Columbus.  From  her  fair  brow  and  arms  she  stripped  her  or 
naments, 

"And  took  from  braids  of  long  black  hair, 
The  gems  that  gleamed  like  starlight  there," 

to  enable  the  adventurous  Genoese  to  discover  a  new  conti 
nent.* 

But  alas,  the  fanatical  spirit  of  Rome  overspread  Spain 
like  a  pall  of  darkness.  The  young  King  and  Queen,  devoted 
heart  and  soul  to  mother  Church,  came  under  the  domination 
of  that  relentless  priest,  Torquemada,  and  the  Holy  Inquisi 
tion  began  its  work.  The  horrors  of  that  inquest  are  familiar 
to  even  the  superficially  informed.  It  began  in  1481,  and  for 
eleven  long  years  the  Jews  of  Spain  endured  its  terrors  rather 
than  forsake  the  vine-clad  hills  and  sunny  valleys  of  their  be 
loved  Spain.  But  their  patient  and  courageous  suffering  proved 
of  no  avail.  '  • 

Mr.  Prescott,  in  his  admirable  history  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  has  given  a  graphic  description  of  the  status  of  the 
Jews  in  Spain  before  and  at  the  time  of  the  Inquisition,  and  in 


*History  now  refutes  this,  and  shows  that  a  Jew  furnished  the  money, 
as  shown  by  Kaiserling  in  his  work  on  the  subject.  See  the  Jewish  En 
cyclopedia. 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  2Q5 

preference  to  any  mere  compilation  stated  in  my  own  words  I 
quote  from  his  work.  See  7th  Chapter,  Vol.  I.  of  Prescott's 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 

*In  the  1 7th  Chapter  of  this  splendid  history  is  given  an 
eloquent  account  of  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  in  1492,  of 
the  sufferings  they  endured  and  the  great  loss  suffered  by  Spain 
by  exiling  the  160,000  thrifty,  cultivated  and  wealthy  Israelites. 
From  that  time  to  the  present  the  decline  of  Spain  has  been  sure 
and  steady.  Frederick  the  Great  was  wise  in  saying  that  no 
nation  profits  by  persecuting  the  Jews. 

In  1492  occurred  the  three  most  notable  events  in  the  reign 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  The  Jews  were  expelled  from  Spain, 
Columbus  sailed  for  America,  and  Granada,  the  Moorish  cap 
ital,  surrendered  to  the  chivalry  of  Leon  and  Castile. 

In  the  fall  of  Granada  Mohammedanism  forever  lost  its  foot 
hold  in  Western  Europe,  and  the  Christianity  of  Rome  has  been 
supreme  in  all  Spain  since  the  day  when  the  weak  and  defeated 
Moorish  King  rode  over  the  hills  in  flight  and  paused  to  take 
his  farewell  glance  at  the  towers  of  his  famous  capital.  The 
spot  is  still  known  under  the  name  of  the  "Last  Sigh  of  the 
Moor" — "el  ultimo  Suspiro  el  Moro." .  The  Church  of  Rome  had 
cause  to  rejoice  over  the  year  1492.  The  hated  Moslem  and 
the  despised  Jew  were  driven  from  the  proudest  of  the  Christian 
nations.  * 

On  August  2,  1492,  by  royal  edict,  the  Jews  were  exiled  from 
Spain.  On  the  day  following  Columbus  sailed  on  his  perilous 
voyage.  Truly,  it  may  be  said  they  "builded  better  than  they 
knew."  Little  was  it  dreamed  on  that  sweltering  day  when  the 
cheers  of  Spaniards  gave  god-speed  to  the  departing  mariners, 
that  a  country  would  be  discovered  by  them  wherein  equal  rights 
would  be  offered  to  the  children  of  those  despised  Jews  who  were 
sadly  leaving  the  sunny  slopes  of  Spain. 

"There  is  a  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
Rough  hew  them  as  we  will." 

Singularly  enough,  among  those  whom  Columbus  took  with 
him  on  his  perilous  voyage  was  one  Louis  de  Torres,  an  Israelite 


296  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

who  had  ostensibly  embraced  Christianity  under  the  persuasive 
influence  of  the  Inquisition.  Columbus  took  him  because  of  his 
great  familiarity  with  oriental  languages,  which  it  was  supposed 
would  come  into  requisition  by  the  discovery  of  the  Eastern  shores 
of  Asia.  Torres  must  have  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  his  com 
mander,  for  when  Columbus,  mistaking  Cuba  for  Asia,  desired 
to  send  messages  to  the  great  Khan,  he  entrusted  this  danger 
ous  and  delicate  mission  to  Torres  and  one  Jerez.  It  was  on  this 
journey  that  tobacco  was  first  discovered  by  any  European  (see 
Irving's  Life  of  Columbus,  Chapters  3  and  4). 

The  great  wealth  and  learning  of  the  Jews  always  insured 
them  a  welcome  in  one  country  when  expelled  from  another. 
When  driven  from  Spain  they  fled  to  Holland,  Portugal  and 
Germany,  and  when  driven  from  these  countries  they  fled  to  oth 
ers,  great  numbers  flocking  to  Turkey,  where  they  rose  to  great 
prosperity. 

The  Reformation  distracted  the  attention  of  the  Christians 
from  the  Jews.  The  Church  had  its  hands  full  with  Luther  and 
Calvin,  and  the  Reformers  were  driven  to  sore  straits  themselves. 
The  Reformed  Christians  and  the  Jews  were  like  the  tiger  and 
the  deer  when  driven  to  an  island  by  a  flood.  A  common  mis 
fortune  insured  peace.  Thus  we  find  Luther  early  in  the  Refor 
mation  defending  the  Jews ;  two  score  years  later,  when  he  felt 
his  ground  to  be  safer,  he  turned  upon  them  in  fierce  assault. 
The  flood  had  subsided,  and  the  deer  was  lawful  prey. 

The  sixteenth  century  added  many  names  to  the  Jewish  pan 
theon.  In  all  of  Europe  the  Jews  flourished  with  varying,  but 
rather  brighter  fortunes.  During  this  time  flourished  Loans, 
Eliah  Levita,  Caro,  Rossi,  Medigo,  Modena,  Mordecai,  Meisel, 
Cans,  the  astronomer,  Rabbi  Loew  and  many  others.  The  seven 
teenth  century  was  one  of  constantly  varying  fortunes.  The  Jews 
were  expelled  from  Frankfort  in  1614;  practically  so  from  Po 
land  in  1628;  from  Vienna  in  1670.  But  they  were  admitted  to 
Germany  from  Poland  in  1628;  they  settled  in  Brazil  in  1642 
and  in  New  York  and  New  England  in  1654.  In  1655  Manasseh 
ben  Israel,  the  author  of  a  "Defense  of  the  Jews,"  pleaded  with 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  2Q7 

Cromwell  for  the  admission  of  his  people  into  Merry  England, 
and  eleven  years  later  the  Israelites  were  allowed  to  return. 

The  Spanish  and  Portuguese  refugees  of  the  previous  century 
in  large  numbers  fled  to  Amsterdam,  where  soon  arose  a  powerful, 
wealthy  and  learned  colony  of  Jews.  They  enjoyed  much  respect 
from  the  honest  burghers  of  the  Dutch  capital,  and  furnished 
many  famous  names  to  the  history  of  Holland.  Notable  among 
these  are  DePinto,  Suasso  and  Melo,  the  philanthropists;  Saul 
Morteira,  the  great  rabbi,  and  Uriel  Acosta  and  Baruch  Spinoza, 
the  skeptics.  To  Berthold  Auerbach,  another  Jew,  we  are  in 
debted  for  a  magnificent  picture  of  the  times  and  the  progress 
of  Jewish  thought  (vide  his  "Spinoza").  Acosta's  career  was  a 
tragedy.  His  independence  of  thought  led  him  to  reject  the 
dogmas  of  Rome  under  which  he  was  reared.  His  father  be 
came  a  convert  to  Christianity  under  the  influence  of  Portuguese 
persecution,  but  the  yojung  Uriel  returned  to  Judaism  and  passed 
over  to  Amsterdam  to  enjoy  the  liberty  of  his  conscience.  Here 
he  made  assaults  on  the  corruptions  in  the  Jewish  worship.  Twice 
was  he  excommunicated,  and  twice  restored  to  the  Jewish  fold. 
His  personal  sufferings  were  permitted  to  color  his  views  on  re 
ligion,  and  the  opposition  to  his  assault  on  mere  forms  of  the 
religion  drove  him  to  disbelieve  the  essence  thereof.  He  lacked 
consistency  and  enduring  courage,  and,  according  to  Jewish  le 
gends,  after  recanting,  he  died  by  his  own  hand.  He  left  several 
able  theological  works. 

Spinoza  possessed  a  great  mind  and  a  great  heart.  His  per 
sonality  was  merged  in  his  philosophy.  His  own  sufferings  and 
privations  were  as  naught  to  him.  Always  cherishing  a  warm 
love  for  his  people,  he  gradually  drew  away  from  orthodox  Jew 
ish  ideas.  He  was  made  a  rabbi  while  very  young,  and  was 
deemed  a  prodigy  of  learning  and  controversial  talent.  His  pan 
theistic  philosophy  is  well  known.  His  luminous  mind  and  won 
derful  reasoning  powers  have  gained  for  him  the  title  of  "father 
of  modern  philosophy." 

During  the  eighteenth  century  the  Jews  made  vast  progress 
toward  emancipation.  In  1723  they  were  admitted  to  citizenship 
in  England.  In  America  they  became  more  numerous,  and  in 


298  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

1728  opened  the  first  American  synagogue  in  New  York.  Less 
than  five  generations  have  pased  since  then,  and  now  every  town 
of  any  pretensions  in  the  United  States  boasts  a  Jewish  syna 
gogue. 

The  first  silk  manufactory  of  Prussia  was  established  by  Jews 
in  1730.  In  1748  the  great  Montesquieu,  recognizing  the  merits 
of  the  Hebrews,  pleaded  for  their  emancipation,  and  invoked  a 
spirit  of  tolerance  for  the  devoted  and  long-suffering  people. 
At  the  same  time  Lessing  and  Gellert,  in  Germany,  discarded  and 
repudiated  the  fashionable  prejudice  against  Jews,  and  wrote  in 
their  behalf.  Among  his  works  nothing  reflects  so  much  glory 
upon  the  name  of  Lessing  as  "Die  Juden"  and  "Nathan  Der 
Weise." 

His  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Jews  are  directly  due  to  the  influ 
ence  of  the  great  Hebrew  luminary  of  the  century,  Moses  Men 
delssohn,  who  was  Lessing's  great  friend,  and  the  prototype  of 
Nathan  the  Wise. 

Moses  Mendelssohn  was  born  on  September  6,  1729,  at  Des 
sau.  His  father  was  a  "transcriber  of  the  law,"  that  is  to  say  a 
professional  copyist  of  Hebrew  manuscripts.  At  the  early  age  of 
three  years  Moses  was  taught  the  wise  sayings  of  the  Talmud.  He 
was  educated  by  the  pious  and  learned  Rabbi  Frankel,  with  whom 
he  subsequently  went  to  Berlin.  His  pure  life  and  great  talents 
soon  brought  him  into  notice.  He  became  the  intimate  of  Les 
sing  and  Gellert,  and  one  of  the  leaders  of  German  philosophical 
thought.  In  a  competition  he  took  the  prize  even  over  the  great 
Kant,  who  was  one  of  his  rivals.  His  successful  contribution  is 
still  famous  and  much  studied.  (Ueber  Evidenz  in  Metaphysi- 
chen  Wissenschaften.)  It  would  be  tedious  to  enumerate  his 
works  and  influence.  Through  him  a  spirit  of  tolerance  toward 
the  Jews  was  generated  in  Germany,  which  received  much 
strength  from  the  liberal  authors  who  preceded  the  French  Revo 
lution.  It  is  said  of  Mendelssohn  that  "every  visitor  to  Berlin, 
Jew  or  Gentile,  sought  to  make  his  acquaintance  at  a  kind  of 
Salon  which  he  held  in  the  afternoons."  Yet  Frederick  the  Great 
refused  him  election  to  the  Berlin  Academy.  This  tyrant  is  said  to 
have  remarked  that  "no  government  ever  prospered  by  oppress- 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA. 

ing  the  Jews,"  but  he  yielded,  nevertheless,  to  prejudice,  and  ex 
cluded  from  the  Academy  the  author  of  "Phaedo."  The  grandson 
of  Moses  Mendelssohn,  Felix,  is  known  as  one  of  the  greatest 
musical  authors  of  the  world. 

With  Mendelssohn  begins  properly  the  end  of  mediaeval  and 
the  opening  of  the  modern  history  of  the  Jews.  I  have  not  under 
taken  even  to  give  an  outline  of  the  Jews  of  the  Middle  Ages,  be 
cause  neither  the  limits  nor  design  of  this  article  will  permit  of 
any  historical  excursions.  Much  more  am  I  precluded  from  under 
taking  any  extended  notice  of  modern  Jewish  development.  Great 
names  crowd,  one  so  fast  after  the  other,  that  I  cannot  pause  even 
to  mention  them.  A  few  of  them  (and  only  a  few  will  I  set  down 
here)  will  serve  to  show  how  wonderful  indeed  has  been  the 
achievement  of  the  Jews  despite  the  degrading  influence  of  per 
secutions  during  the  dark  ages.  Of  the  effect  thereof  I  make  the 
following  quotation  from  an  article  by  Israel  Davis :  "The  perse 
cutions  of  the  Middle  Ages  had  produced  their  natural  effect.  Cut 
off  from  their  fellow-citizens,  excluded  by  oppressive  laws  from 
all  trades  except  that  of  peddling  in  old  clothes,  and  even  from 
buying  certain  classes  of  these ;  specially  taxed,  confined  to  Ghet 
tos  and  Judengassen,  strictly  prohibited  from  entering  some 
towns,  limited  in  numbers  in  others ;  forbidden  to  marry  except 
under  restrictions  designed  to  check  the  growth  of  the  Jewish 
population;  disabled  from  enjoying  Christian  servants,  or  being 
members  of  trade  guilds,  the  Jews  seemed  by  their  abject  condi 
tion  to  deserve  the  evils  which  were  its  cause" 

Reflect  for  a  moment  on  such  a  condition  as  is  above  por 
trayed  being  the  fate  of  a  people  for  centuries,  and  then  ask  your 
selves  what  must  be  the  native  virtues  of  that  people  if  they 
emerge  with  honor  and  furnish  more  heroes  in  proportion  to  num 
bers  than  any  other  people,  oppressed  or  free.  Consider  that  Wes- 
sely,  Lowe,  Marcus  Herz,  Heine,  Borne,  Gans  the  jurist,  Rahel, 
Neander  the  historian,  Jonas  and  Zacharias  Frankel,  Hildeshei- 
mer,  Jost,  Zunz,  Rapaport,  Geiger,  Graetz,  Furst,  Steinschneider, 
Herxheimer,  Herzfeld,  Phillippson,  Lehman,  are  the  names  of 
Jews.  Berthold  Auerbach,  whose  hand  was  upon  the  heartstrings 
of  the  German  people,  was  a  Jew ;  Heinrich  Heine,  that  remark- 


3OO  LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

able  character  in  philosophy  and  resplendent  light  in  poetry,  was 
a  Jew ;  Edward  Lasker,  the  peer  of  Bismarck  in  politics,  and  his 
superior  in  all  other  respects,  was  a  Jew;  Rubenstein  and  Joa 
chim  in  music,  Traube  in  medicine,  Lazarus  in  psychology,  Ben- 
fey  and  Bernays  and  Wehl  in  philology,  are  the  names  of  Jews. 
What  a  magnificent  galaxy  they  all  make,  and  yet  they  are  all 
taken  from  Germany  only  and  within  an  hundred  years ! 

Notwithstanding  the  multitude  of  great  names  added  to  Ger 
man  history  by  her  Jewish  subjects,  the  Jews  have  been  consis 
tently  and  persistently  persecuted  by  the  German  people  and  gov 
ernment.  It  was  not  until  1803  that  the  infamous  Leibzoll  was 
finally  abolished  in  Germany.  This  was  a  tax  imposed  specially 
on  Jews  whenever  they  crossed  the  boundaries  of  a  city  or  petty 
State.  In  1812  they  were  recognized  as  citizens,  but  after  the  war 
of  liberation,  in  which  they  distinguished  themselves,  they  were 
subjected  to  new  restrictions,  or  a  revival  of  those  that  had  fallen 
into  desuetude.  During  the  Liberal  movement,  in  1848,  their 
liberties  were  enlarged,  but  it  was  not  until  the  establishment  of 
the  German  Empire  (1871)  that  civil  and  political  equality  was 
accorded  to  the  Jews.  Even  this  did  not  stifle  the  spirit  of  intol 
erance.  A  few  years  later  Stoecker,  the  preacher  of  the  Emperor, 
became  the  head  of  what  is  called  the  "Anti-Semitic"  movement. 
Leagues  had  been  formed  throughout  the  Empire  to  ostracize  the 
Jews  and  otherwise  persecute  them.  That  the  movement  was  not 
distasteful  to  the  Iron  Chancellor  (Bismarck),  goes  without  say 
ing.  The  court  preacher  would  not  have  dared  to  have  identified 
himself  with  the  movement  save  with  the  sanction  of  the  ruling 
genius  of  Germany.  It  was  only  in  deference  to  the  outraged  pub 
lic  opinion  abroad  that  the  Government  finally  interfered  to  pre 
vent  such  outrages  as  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  the  synagogue 
at  New  Stettin. 

The  avowed  grievance  on  the  anti-Semitic  leagues  is  the  prom 
inence  of  the  Jews  in  science,  literature,  art  and  commerce.  It 
is  alleged  against  them  that  they  monopolize  the  commerce  of  Ger 
many  and  control  her  finances.  What  an  argument  for  persecu 
tion  !  What  an  apology  for  crime !  What  a  commentary  on  Ger 
man  civilization!  The  Jews  of  the  German  Empire  constitute 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  3OI 

only  one  per  cent  of  the  population;  they  have  just  emerged  from 
centuries  of  degradation  and  persecution;  only  emancipated  in 
1871  and  yet  the  most  powerful  nation  on  the  continent,  and  one 
that  boasts  the  highest  order  of  thought,  education  and  develop 
ment,  encourages  leagues  to  combat  them!  Ninety-nine  men 
uniting  against  one! 

When  Napoleon  plowed  the  fields  of  Germany  with  the  hoofs 
of  his  war  horses  and  made  them  fertile  with  German  blood  and 
bones,  the  Jews  were  favored  by  the  panic-stricken  Teutons. 
Their  talents,  their  treasure  and  their  valor  were  needed  and  all 
were  given  with  alacrity.  When  the  invaders  were  driven  back 
the  Jews  were  placed  under  a  cloud  again — and  today  when  Ger 
many  dominates  Europe,  the  Government  smiles  at  assaults  on  the 
people  that  gave  Lasker  to  lead  the  fight  for  constitutional  liberty. 
Wonderful  indeed  is  the  people  that  in  a  nation  of  fifty  odd  mill 
ions  can  and  does  furnish  the  leaders  in  science,  politics,  literature, 
art  and  commerce  out  of  a  pitiful  one  per  centum  of  the  whole 
population. 

Let  us  now  glance  for  a  moment  at  the  progress  of  the  Jews 
in  France.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  Jews  are  a  patriotic  peo 
ple.  Under  whatever  government  they  exist,  they  are  as  a  rule 
loyal  to  the  "powers  that  be,"  and  wherever  they  have  been  ac 
corded  liberty  their  devotion  has  known  no  bounds.  The  favorite 
countries  of  the  Jews  are  France  and  the  United  States. 

In  1790  Mirabeau  and  St.  Etienne  championed  the  claims  of 
the  Jews  for  equal  rights  in  France,  and  in  1791  they  were  admit 
ted  to  full  citizenship  by  act  of  Assembly,  which  was  confirmed  in 
the  Constitution  of  1795.  The  Jews  testified  their  grateful  appre 
ciation  of  the  privileges  thus  extended,  by  pouring  out  their  blood 
and  contributing  their  wealth  in  the  fearful  conflicts  in  which 
France  became  engaged. 

In  1807  the  great  Napoleon  convoked  the  celebrated  Sanhedrin 
to  formulate  a  code  of  laws  for  his  Jewish  subjects.  It  was  a 
great  event  for  the  Jews,  and  yet  greater  for  France.  I  shall  not 
pause  to  analyze  the  work  of  the  Sanhedrin.  It  is  matter  of  his 
tory.  The  liberties  accorded  by  Napoleon  to  the  Jews,  and  which 
have  been  continued  to  this  day,  completely  eliminated  the  Jewish 


?O2  LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

question  from  French  politics.  The  Jews  became  prime  factors  of 
French  civilization,  but  no  longer  vexed  the  statecraft  of  the  gov 
ernment.  France  does  not  offer  as  many  prominent  Jewish  names 
as  Germany.  Separate  development  has  not  been  stimulated  in 
France  by  political  restrictions  as  it  has  been  in  Germany.  The 
general  character  of  the  French  Jews  is  higher,  however,  than 
that  of  German  Jews.  They  are  freer  from  the  hereditary  faults, 
and  more  pronounced  and  consistent  in  the  display  of  hereditary 
virtues.  They  are  more  pious,  yet  freer  from  cant;  they  are  more 
cultured,  yet  less  disposed  to  the  skepticism  so  common  among  en 
lightened  Germans. 

Among  the  great  French  Jews  of  the  country  I  will  only  men 
tion  Adolph  Cremieux,  the  statesmen  Fould  and  Goudchaux,  the 
savants,  Jules  Oppert  and  Halevy,  Meyerbeer,  the  composer,  the 
philanthropist  Baron  Hirsch,  and  the  distinguished  members  of  the 
French  branch  of  the  Rothschild  family. 

As  already  stated,  the  Jews  were  readmitted  to  England  in  the 
time  of  Cromwell.  In  1658  they  were  first  permitted  to  bury  a 
Jewish  corpse  in  a  licensed  Jewish  cemetery.  As  late  as  1845  it 
was  doubted  if  even  English-born  Jews  could  legally  hold  lands 
in  England.  In  1754  popular  clamor  succeeded  in  effecting  the  re 
peal  of  Mr.  Pelham's  Jewish  naturalization  act,  which  had  passed 
the  year  previous.  The  statute  de  Judaism,  which  prescribed  a 
particular  garb  for  the  Jews,  was  only  repealed  in  1846,  but  it  was 
then  a  dead  letter,  and  had  been  for  two  centuries.  By  the  re 
form  act  of  1832,  the  right  of  suffrage  was  extended  to  the  Jews. 
The  progress  toward  full  recognition,  it  will  be  observed,  was  ex 
ceedingly  slow.  Macaulay  and  Lord  Russell,  great  as  was  their 
influence,  fought  for  long  years  in  vain  to  fully  emancipate  the 
Jews.  Baron  Lionel  de  Rothschild  was  five  times  returned  to 
Parliament  by  the  city  of  London,  and  was  eleven  years  a  mem 
ber  before  he  was  allowed  to  take  an  oath  omitting  the  words  "on 
the  true  faith  of  a  Christian."  In  1858  this  insuperable  obstacle 
was  removed.  Seven  years  before  Salomons  took  his  seat,  having 
omitted  the  words.  He  was,  however,  fined  and  obliged  to  retire 
by  decree  of  the  Exchequer  Court.  Until  1828  the  number  of  Jew 
ish  brokers  in  London  was  limited  to  twelve.  Sir  D.  Salomons, 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  303 

the  first  Jewish  Sheriff  of  London,  could  not  qualify  until  by  a 
special  act  passed  by  Lord  Campbell,  an  oath  was  prescribed  which 
he  could  take.  Two  years  later  (1837)  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  was 
elected.  The  latter  was  an  alderman  for  ten  years  before  he 
could  qualify,  Lord  Syndhurst's  act  (1845)  enabling  him  to  do  so. 

English  history  boasts  many  great  Jewish  names.  In  theology 
we  have  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  Jacob  Aben- 
dano  and  David  Meto;  in  mathematics,  Sylvester,  Sarmento  and 
Gompertz,  both  of  the  latter  being  fellows  of  the  Royal  Society. 
Among  linguists  there  are  Goldstucker,  Zedner  and  Deutsch; 
among  barristers,  Goldsmid  and  Judah  P.  Benjamin,  who,  how 
ever,  more  properly  belongs  to  the  United  States.  In  literature, 
da  Costa,  who  in  1769 — the  date  of  his  death — was  Secretary  and 
librarian  of  the  Royal  Society;  Isaac  Disraeli,  Benj.  Disraeli,  Da 
vid  Ricardo,  Lopez  and  many  others.  In  politics,  Beaconsfield, 
Salomons,  Montefiore  and  Rothschild  and  a  long  list  of  others 
who  are  philanthropists  as  well.  In  all  other  countries  of  the  globe 
we  find  great  men  who  are  Jews,  in  all  departments  of  life.  In 
the  United  States  they  fill  positions  of  prominence  and  trust  in  all 
the  spheres  of  private  and  public  life.  Among  our  leading  states 
men,  orators,  lawyers,  physicians,  theologians,  artists,  musicians, 
actors,  capitalists,  financiers  and  merchants  is  to  be  found  the  ir 
repressible  Jew. 

On  the  i6th  of  January,  1825,  there  was  founded  in  Charles 
ton,  S.  C,  the  Reformed  Society  of  Israelites.  Through  the  kind 
ness  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Abraham  C.  Labatt,  one  of  the  original 
signers  of  the  Constitution  of  that  Society,  I  have  been  permitted 
to  read  the  Constitution  of  the  Society  and  the  ritual  adopted  by 
it.  The  originators  were  men  of  marked  intelligence,  courage 
and  purity  of  purpose,  as  is  evident  from  their  work.  They 
breasted  the  storms  of  indignation  that  grew  out  of  their  innova 
tions,  and  bravely  continued  the  work  which  was  perhaps  the 
foundation  of  the  American  reform  movement.  I  must  leave  to 
some  historian  of  the  Jewish  Church  the  work  of  analyzing -the 
history  and  progress  of  the  Society.  I  merely  mention  it  to  show 
that  in  a  free  country  enlightened  Jews,  relieved  from  the  pres 
sure  of  persecution,  directed  their  energies  to  reform.  This  move- 


304  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

ment,  however,  had  no  radical  tendencies.  It  did  not  address  itself 
to  doctrines,  but  merely  to  ceremonies.  It  was  at  a  later  date  and 
by  a  different  class  of  men,  that  innovations  were  made  upon  the 
body  as  well  as  the  habiliments  of  Judaism. 

The  reform  movement,  whether  well  or  ill-advised  as  a  policy, 
unquestionably  grew  out  of  the  purest  motives.  The  Jew  has  in 
every  age  been  distinguished  for  untiring  and  restless  energy. 
Amidst  persecution  he  had  no  time  for  reform.  All  his  strength 
and  resources  were  husbanded  to  meet  and  ward  off  hostile  as 
saults  from  without.  In  America,  however,  he  was  almost  entire 
ly  free  from  persecution,  and  the  innate  powers  of  the  Jew  were 
directed  to  self-improvement.  As  a  monarch  at  the  end  of  for 
eign  wars  directs  his  attention  to  internal  improvement  and  re 
form,  so  the  Jews  in  America,  for  the  first  time  in  centuries  at 
peace,  turned  their  eyes  inward.  Unfortunately  what  was  con 
ceived  in  such  a  laudable  spirit,  has  been  carried  to  most  unwar 
ranted  limits.  It  would  be  surprising  indeed  if  they  did  not  go  to 
extremes.  Sudden  freedom  is  always  characterized  by  excesses, 
but  the  conservatism  and  natural  balance  of  the  Jewish  mind  is 
asserting  itself,  and  ere  long  there  will  be  evolved  a  symmetrical, 
logical  and  attractive  ritual  and  system  of  worship.  Recent  de 
velopments  in  the  United  States  give  unmistakable  color  to  this 
prediction.  The  people  have  asserted  themselves  and  the  leaders 
have  heard  from  them  in  unmistakable  terms.  When  at  Pitts- 
burg  in  1885  the  Rabbis  issued  the  celebrated  Delphic  oracle  en 
titled  the  "Postulates  of  Reason" — and  at  the  same  time  paved  the 
way  for  the  abolition  of  the  holy  Jewish  Sabbath  and  the  covenant 
of  Abraham,  a  storm  arose  which  demonstrated  a  fact  which  had 
been  overlooked.  Beneath  the  apparent  indifference  of  the  Ameri 
can  Jews  there  slumbered  a  great  and  indestructible  love  for  the 
ancient  creed.  The  new  generation  clung  to  it  not  only  for  its 
great  truths  and  beauties,  but  also  because  of  its  great  antiquity ; 
and  the  elders  under  the  influence  of  their  children's  enthusiasm, 
felt  the  old  earnestness  quicken  in  their  hearts.  They  reminded 
themselves  or  were  reminded  that  it  is  not  good  "to  cast  stones  in 
the  well  from  which  they  had  drunk,"  and  they  hastened  with  re 
newed  devotion  to  the  long-neglected  shrines.  A  new  impetus 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  305 

has  been  given  to  Judaism  in  America  by  the  collapse  of  radical 
ism  in  1886,  and  it  would  require  a  prophet  to  foresee  the  great 
ness  of  the  Jews  in  the  land  of  liberty.  It  may  aid  the  reader  in 
speculating  upon  that  future  to  be  informed  of  a  few  of  the 
achievements  of  the  Jews  in  the  United  States  up  to  the  present 
time.  They  have  not  been  few  or  unimportant,  for  the  heat  of 
radicalism  and  the  cold  of  indifference  in  religious  matters  have 
been  alike  impotent  to  affect  the  innate  charity  of  the  Jews. 
Throughout  all  ages  and  all  manner  of  calamity  they  have  illus 
trated  by  their  lives  the  sweet  gospel  of  Moses :  "Love  thy  neigh 
bor  as  thyself."  (19  Leviticus,  34.) 

I  have  been  unable  to  find  any  comprehensive  statistics  con 
cerning  the  American  Jews,  but  from  the  meagre  data  available 
I  have  been  able  to  collate  a  number  of  interesting  facts,  which  if 
they  be  not  strictly  accurate,  may  be  safely  received  as  within, 
rather  than  beyond  the  truth. 

There  are  four  great  charitable  fraternities  in  the  United 
States,  viz.:  the  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith,  with  an  ag 
gregate  of  nearly  25,000  members ;  the  Free  Sons  of  Israel,  with 
nearly  12,000  members;  the  Improved  Free  Sons  of  Israel,  with 
about  3,300  members,  and  the  Kesher  Shel  Barzel  (Iron  Link), 
with  over  9,000  members.  All  of  these  great  organizations  are 
founded  and  conducted  upon  philanthropic  principles.  From  offi 
cial  reports  I  find  the  B'nai  B'rith  (Sons  of  the  Covenant),  aside 
from  and  exclusive  of  endowment  and  sick  benefits,  bestows  an 
nually  almost  $150,000.00  or  $6.00  per  capita  in  charity.  The  av 
erage  in  District  No.  7,  composed  of  Tennessee,  Florida,  Alabama, 
Arkansas,  Mississippi,  Louisana  and  Texas,  is  over  $9.00  per  cap 
ita,  and  exceeds  by  far  the  average  in  any  other  district.  The  ag 
gregate  membership  of  the  other  three  orders  named  is  about 
25,000,  and  if  we  credit  them  with  an  average  per  capita  char 
ity  of  $4.00  per  annum,  we  have  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  con 
tributed  by  the  fraternities  alone.  But  notwithstanding  the  vast 
extent  and  usefulness  of  these  orders,  we  find  in  nearly  every  im 
portant  town  where  the  Jews  reside,  a  Hebrew  benevolent  society 
whose  sphere  is  local.  Certainly  not  less  than  $250,000.00  is  an 
nually  distributed  by  these  organizations. 


3O6  LEO   N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME, 

The  Jews  in  the  United  States  own,  support  and  successfully 
operate  a  number  of  great  charity  hospitals,  among  which  are 
Mt.  Sinai  Hospital  in  New  York,  Jewish  Hospital  in  Philadelphia, 
Hebrew  Hospital  in  Baltimore,  Jewish  Hospital  in  Cincinnati  and 
our  own  Touro  Infirmary  at  New  Orleans. 

In  addition  to  these  they  own,  support  and  successfully  oper 
ate  a  large  number  of  charitable  asylums,  such  as  the  Hebrew  Be 
nevolent  and  Orphan  Asylum  in  New  York,  Foster  Home  and  Or 
phan  Asylum  in  Philadelphia,  B'nai  B'rith  Orphan  Asylum  in 
Cleveland,  Jewish  Orphan  Asylum  in  Baltimore,  Pacific  Orphan 
Asylum  in  San  Francisco,  Home  for  Aged  and  Infirm  at  Philadel 
phia,  Home  for  Aged  and  Infirm  Hebrews  in  New  York,  Familien 
Wiasen  Verein  in  Philadelphia,  Deborah  Nursery  and  Protectory 
in  New  York,  Sheltering  Guardian  Society  in  New  York,  and 
the  Jewish  Widows'  and  Orphans'  Home  in  New  Orleans.  I 
have  possibly  omitted  some  of  the  Jewish  eleemosynary  institu 
tions  which  are  entitled  to  rank  along  with  those  I  have  men 
tioned. 

Besides  the  above  there  are  great  numbers  of  relief,  free  burial, 
free  fuel  and  free  school  societies  in  the  larger  cities. 

The  annual  cost  of  the  conduct  of  these  various  institutions  I 
have  deemed  it  safe  to  place  at  not  less  than  $500,000.00. 

The  private  and  miscellaneous,  but  strictly  Jewish  charities  I 
have,  after  careful  consideration,  placed  at  an  average  of  $1.00 
per  capita  or  $300,000.00.  We  have  then  a  grand  total  of  $1,800,- 
ooo.oo  expended  annually  by  say  300,000  Jews  in  strictly  Jewish 
charities,  an  average  per  capita  of  $4.33  1-3.  Estimating  that 
there  is  an  adult  male  to  every  six  persons,  we  will  find  that  there 
are  but  50,000  male  adult  Jews  in  the  United  States  and  as  the 
burden  falls  almost  exclusively  upon  them,  their  capita  aver 
ages  $26.00  per  annum.  But  it  is  well  known  that  the  Jews  are 
charitable  to  others  than  those  of  their  own  faith.  I  venture  to  es 
timate  their  general  charities  at  one-half  of  their  sectarian  chari 
ties.  That  would  swell  the  grand  total  to  nearly  $2,000,000.00 
per  annum,  or  an  average  per  capita  for  each  male  adult  of  $40.00. 

If  the  same  generosity  were  displayed  by  the  people  at  large 
the  charities  of  the  whole  country  would  reach  the  enormous 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  307 

amount  of  four  hundred  millions  per  annum,  a  sum  larger  than 
the  national  revenues  and  almost  equal  to  the  value  of  two  cotton 
crops. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  in  my  estimates  I  have  not  in 
cluded  the  sums  paid  out  for  sick  or  endowment  benefits.  These 
I  consider  beyond  the  pale  of  strict  charity,  although  in  many  re 
spects  they  may  be  considered  as  falling  within  it.  I  have  also 
excluded  congregational  expenses.  There  are  about  three  hun 
dred  congregations  in  the  United  States,  being  one  for  every 
1,000  Jews,  and  the  annual  expenditure  is  not  less  than  $1,000,- 
ooo.oo,  or  an  average  of  $20.00  per  capita  for  each  male  adult. 

The  great  fraternities  pay  out  annually  to  Jewish  widows 
and  orphans  in  the  shape  of  endowments,  more  than  $500,000. 
In  the  larger  towns  and  cities  there  are  Young  Men's  Hebrew  As 
sociations,  Dramatic  and  Literary  Societies,  schools  of  various 
kinds  and  in  fine  every  species  of  organization  designed  to  en 
courage  science,  literature  and  art. 

But  while  the  Jew  is  sectarian  in  his  charities  and  his  plea 
sures  he  is  not  so  as  a  citizen.  They  belong  to  all  political  parties 
and  there  is  no  such  thing  as  the  Jewish  vote. 

In  this  country,  moreover,  the  Jews  have  ceased  to  be  mere 
money  makers.  They  are  invading  every  walk  of  life.  In  law, 
medicine,  journalism,  art,  literature,  engineering;  in  music  and 
the  drama,  they  are  to  be  found  in  great  numbers  and  generally 
in  the  front  rank.  When  we  contemplate  the  wonderful  attain 
ments  of  the  Jews  in  this  country  we  are  impelled  to  exclaim  with 
Balaam:  "How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob;  thy  tabernacles, 
O  Israel !  As  the  valleys  are  they  spread  forth,  as  gardens  by  the 
river  side,  as  the  trees  of  lign-aloes,  which  the  Lord  hath  planted, 
and  as  the  cedar  trees  beside  the  waters."  (24  Numbers,  5  and  6.) 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Wherein  is  Considered  the  Cause  of  Jewish  Greatness  and  Its 

Destiny. 

I  have  only  endeavored  to  give  the  briefest  outline  of  Jew 
ish  progress  from  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era  to  the  pres 
ent  time.  To  have  undertaken  more  would  have  enlarged  the 
limits  of  this  work  far  beyond  its  original  design,  and  would 
have  led  me  into  a  field  that  I  have  neither  the  ambition,  the 
time  nor  the  ability  to  explore.  My  purpose  has  been  solely 
to  state  in  meager  outline  the  prominent  events  of  Jewish  his 
tory  in  order  that  therefrom  I  might  obtain,  and  present  the 
factors  of  a  problem,  that  it  is  proper  for  me  to  consider  in 
this  essay. 

It  will  have  struck  the  reader  as  remarkable  if  not  amazing 
that  there  should  still  exist  a  people  who  for  so  many  centuries 
have  been  oppressed,  persecuted  and  condemned — and  yet  more 
marvelous  must  appear  the  fact  that  this  people,  the  Jews, 
is  great  in  numbers,  spread  over  the  whole  face  of  the  globe, 
enlightened  and  civilized  to  a  high  degree,  physically,  morally, 
and  intellectually  unsurpassed,  excelling  as  financiers,  artists, 
statesmen,  musicians  and  philosophers ; — wonderfully  free  of 
criminals  and  prolific  of  moral  exemplars  and  seemingly  but 
launched  upon  a  career  of  unrivalled  greatness.  What  is  the 
mystery  of  this  indestructibility?  Why  do  the  Jews  continue 
to  exist  under  conditions  that  have  destroyed  all  other  peo 
ples? 

A  casual  reading  of  history  will  discover  that  whenever  two 
heterogeneous  peoples  have  come  in  contact  the  one  absorbed 
the  other,  or  by  amalgamation  the  two  formed  a  new  stock. 
And  further,  that  when  assimilation  did  occur  the  weaker  people 
inevitably  passed  away. 

The  aboriginal  American,   for    example,  savage    though  he 

308 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  309 

was,  presented  the  noblest  form  of  man  in  his  native  state. 
Brought  in  contact  with  a  superior  people,  he  refused  to  assimi 
late,  and  in  a  few  centuries  the  Indians  have  dwindled  to  a  mere 
handful  of  drunken,  treacherous  wretches.  The  gypsies  are 
rapidly  disappearing  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  it  is  so  of 
every  race  that  preserves  the  purity  of  its  blood  and  the  prac 
tice  of  its  customs  while  subjected  to  the  pressure  of  a  superior 
power  or  powers.  In  all  history  the  Jews  stand  alone.  They 
are  sui  generis.  To  them  no  general  rule  in  the  philosophy  of 
history  can  be  applied.  For  two  thousand  years  they  have 
been  scattered,  hunted  down,  murdered,  pillaged,  tortured  and 
despised;  during  all  that  time  they  have  been  stanchly  loyal  to 
their  Penates  and  their  religion,  and  to-day  they  are  stronger, 
wealthier,  freer,  more  enlightened  and  more  powerful  than  ever. 
What  is  the  explanation? 

In  discussing  the  origin  of  Jewish  greatness  I  have  already 
shown  that  the  Jews  can  not  be  judged  as  other  people — and 
again  must  we  seek  for  new  methods  in  solving  the  problem  of 
Jewish  indestructibility.  The  religious  fanatic  will  satisfy  him 
self  with  the  simple  explanation  that  it  was  prophesied  of  old  by 
those  divinely  inspired,  and  that  they  are  the  special  care  of 
Providence.  Disraeli  attributes  it  to  the  fact  that  they  are  an 
unmixed  race  of  Caucasus.*  Spinoza  explains  it  by  the  stub 
born  adherence  of  the  Jews  to  the  rite  of  circumcision,  and 
numerous  other  writers  have  advanced  as  many  different  theo- 
ries.f 

But  something  more  than  a  prophecy;  something  in  addi 
tion  to  unmixed  blood,  and  certainly  something  higher  than  a 


*In  "Coningsby"  occurs  the  following:  "You  can  not  destroy  a  pure 
race  of  the  Caucasian  organization.  It  is  a  physiological  fact ;  a  simple 
law  of  Nature,  which  has  baffled  Egyptian  and  Assyrian  Kings,  Roman 
Emperors  and  Christian  Inquisitors.  No  penal  laws,  no  physical  tortures 
can  effect  that  a  superior  race  should  be  absorbed  in  an  inferior,  or  be  de 
stroyed  by  it.  The  mixed  persecuting  race  disappears ;  the  pure  persecuted 
race  remains.  And  at  this  moment,  in  spite  of  centuries,  tens  of  centuries 
of  degradation,  the  Jewish  mind  exercises  a  vast  influence  on  the  affairs  of 
Europe.  I  speak  not  of  their  laws,  which  you  still  obey;  of  their  literature, 
with  which  your  minds  are  saturated,  but  of  the  living  Hebrew  intellect." 

tRenau  and  Wellhausen  maintain  with  much  force  that  the  Jews  are 
no  longer  an  unmixed  race. 


310  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

mere  rite,  must  be   found  to  explain  such  phenomena  as   are 
found  in  the  lastingness  of  the  Jews. 

Not  any  one  of  the  peculiarities  to  be  found  among  the 
Jews,  but  all  or  nearly  all  of  them  are  responsible  for  it.  Not 
the  rite  of  circumcision,  not  their  unmixed  blood,  not  their  ex- 
clusiveness,  not  their  religion,  not  their  sanitary  and  dietary 
laws,  not  their  close  and  familiar  communion  with  their  God, 
not  any  one  of  these,  but  all  of  them  combined  have  produced 
virtues  physical,  intellectual  and  moral,  that  nothing  inimical 
could  withstand,  and  which  have  withstood  assaults  of  every 
character  and  of  the  longest  duration.  The  elements  that  make 
up  a  national  or  race  character  are  as  manifold  as  those  which 
enter  into  the  constitution  of  individual  characters — and  there 
is"  as  little  likelihood  of  finding  perfection  in  the  one  as  in  the 
Other.  All  a  priori  reasoning  must  fail  in  practical  sociology, 
for  the  factors  of  the  problems  are  always  doubtful  and  fre 
quently  as  uncertain  as  the  solution  which  we  seek  to  obtain. 
We  must  obtain  theories  by  inductive  reasoning,  based'  upon 
wide  experience  and  practical  observation.  Plato  and  others 
Constructed  perfect  governmental  machinery  upon  paper,  but  no 
Utopian  constitution  could  stand  the  strain  of  practical  opera 
tion.  The  founders  of  the  American  Government,  rich  in  the 
wisdom  of  experience,  framed  the  most  perfect  government 
ever  known,  and  yet  in  less  than  a  century  millions  of  lives  and 
treasure  were  spent  to  explain  its  meaning. 

The  philosopher  and  the  theologian  will  map  out  a  perfect 
theory  of  education  and  moral  discipline,  and  the  military  com 
mander  will  formulate  a  perfect  system  of  tactics;  but  be  the 
theories  never  so  plausible,  experience  has  shown,  as  it  always 
will  show,  that  mere  theories  wiir  not  serve  to  educate  the  mind, 
the  conscience  or  the  body.  Moreover  there  are  operating  influ 
ences  that  are  recognized  but  not  understood  or  explained.  The 
Almighty  permits  us  to  see  His  works,  but  withholds  them  from 
our  understanding.  Thus  in  medicine  we  find  that  physicians 
use  certain  drugs  to  produce  certain  effects,  and  that  the  effects 
are  produced,  but  how  or  why  they  can  not  explain. 
"Knowledge  conies  but  wisdom  lingers  *  *  *  " 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  311 

It  is  perhaps  not  possible  to  perfectly  explain  the  history  of 
the  Jews  and  why  they  have  outlived  the  influences  that  have 
destroyed  all  other  peoples  similarly  situated.  But  we  do  know 
that  they  have  survived  events  that  have  been  all  powerful 
against  others  and  powerless  against  them;  we  do  know  that 
they  have  remained  strong  under  circumstances  that  made  oth 
ers  weak;  intelligent  when  others  grew  ignorant;  wealthy 
when  others  grew  poor;  brave  when  others  grew  cowardly; 
refined  when  others  became  savage,  and  lastly,  moral  when  oth 
ers  became  debased  and  criminal. 

We  know  further  that  this  people  are  distinguished  by  cer 
tain  peculiarities;  that  they  have  their  own  religion,  from 
which  all  others  sprung,  and  which  is  none  the  less  vigorous 
because  so  often  in  parturition;  that  they  have  a  peculiar  sys 
tems  of  laws  semi-religious  and  altogether  sanitary;  that  they 
have  traditions  and  customs  to  which  they  cling  with  unequaled 
tenacity;  that  they  are  exclusive  in  social  life;  that  they  are 
jealous  of  the  purity  of  their  strain;  that  their  homes  are  gov 
erned  by  the  old  patriarchal  principle;  that  filial  and  fraternal 
duties  are  practiced  as  of  course;  that  they  are  singularly  free 
from  crime ;  that  their  vital  statistics  are  better  than  any  other 
people;  that  they  are  brave,  enterprising,  quick-witted  and 
reliable,  and  above  all  that  they  worship  one  God,  not  so  much 
according  to  a  particular  form,  but  in  accordance  with  their  re 
ligion,  which  teaches  that  morality  is  religion. 

We  may  not  be  able  to  discover  the  nexus  between  the  pe 
culiarities  of  this  people  and  their  indestructibility,  but  it  is  only 
fair  to  connect  the  two  and  attribute  the  latter  to  the  former. 
And  further,  it  is  but  fair  to  argue  that  if  such  peculiarities 
have  enabled  this  people  to  withstand  a  powerful  pressure 
toward  evil  and  have  propelled  them  toward  the  good;  if  they 
have  produced  a  people  so  strong,  so  brave,  so  powerful,  healthy, 
enterprising,  intelligent  and  law-abiding,  then  the  world  at  large 
would  be  the  loser  if  any  of  these  peculiarities  were  abandoned 
— for  to  all  of  them  we  may  fairly  infer  is  due  the  character 
of  this  people,  and  the  character  and  works  of  this  people  are 
of  value  to  the  world. 


312  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

I  shall  not  pause  to  argue  so  plain  a  proposition  as  this 
latter.  If  the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  Jewish  social 
and  religiou  life  are  responsible  for  the  virtues  of  the  Jews 
and  not  for  their  faults,  the  proposition  is  self-evident.  But 
it  will  be  as  it  has  been  maintained,  that  the  virtues  of  the  Jews 
are  theirs  as  men,  and  not  as  Jews;  that  the  same  individuals, 
if  Christians,  would  have  developed  the  same  qualities  of  head 
and  heart.  This  is  possibly  true.  Certainly  the  contrary  can 
not  be  demonstrated,  but  it  can  be  established  as  highly  prob 
able.  If  two  sets  of  individuals  live  in  the  same  climate,  enjoy 
like  surroundings  and  are  subject  to  the  same  laws,  and  one 
set  follows  one  hygienic  system  and  the  other  set  another,  we 
naturally  judge  the  merits  of  the  respective  systems  by  the  re 
sults.  Yet  this  is  far  short  of  demonstration,  for  perhaps,  with 
out  any  system,  the  one  set  may  have  remained  healthy  as  a 
class  and  the  other  grown  sickly.  The  Jews  have  not  enjoyed 
equal  advantages  under  the  law  or  in  the  schools,  and  yet  they 
have,  as  a  class,  outstripped  their  neighbors.  This  fact  is  phe 
nomenal  and  may  not  be  explained  by  the  theory  of  chance. 
If  chance  operates  consistently  for  two  thousand  years,  it  rises 
to  the  dignity  of  a  law.  There  is  but  one  explanation,  and  that 
is  the  spiritual,  domestic  and  physical  life  of  the  Jews. 

The  practice  of  their  religion,  the  observance  of  their  tradi 
tional  customs,  their  oriental  devotion  to  their  parents,  their  ex- 
clusiveness,  their  pure  and  comparatively  unmixed  blood,  are 
the  basis  of  their  greatness.  Who  would  endanger  the  structure 
by  undermining  the  foundation  must  crave  the  infamy  of  that 
wild  youth  who  fired  the  temple  of  Ephesus  that  his  name  might 
be  ever  remembered.  I  have  frequently  insisted  that  the  Jews 
have  less  to  fear  from  the  bigotry  of  others  than  they  have 
from  their  own  indifference.  The  world  has  come  to  recog 
nize  them  as  indestructible.  Their  destiny  lies  with  themselves. 
The  opportunity  afforded  them  by  the  civilization  and  liberality 
of  the  nineteenth  century  surpasses  all  those  enjoyed  since  they 
had  a  kingdom  and  a  king.  In  most  of  the  enlightened  nations 
of  the  world,  and  notably  in  England,  France  and  the  United 
States,  they  have  found  a  new  Jerusalem.  The  future  is  theirs 


THE  JEWS  IN  AMERICA.  313 

to  be  great  or  pass  away  from  the  earth  forever.  What  will 
they  do  with  it?  Will  it  come  to  pass  when  the  traveler  from 
New  Zealand  stands  on  London  bridge  and  muses  over  the  ruins 
of  St.  Paul's  that  he  will  also  seek  in  dusty  tombs  for  the  his 
tory  of  the  last  of  the  Jews,  or  will  he  marvel  then  as  we  marvel 
now,  that  this  one  people  of  all  others,  and  the  only  one,  should 
survive  pyramids  and  temples,  coliseums  and  catacombs,  des 
potism  and  constitutions — and  remain  ever  vigorous  and  young, 
as  indestructible  as  the  ocean  by  which  they  are  so  fitly  sym 
bolized? 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  LIFE. 

A  Commencement  Address  Delivered  Before  the  Graduating 
Class  of  the  University  of  Texas,  June  14,  1899. 

In  the  physical  sciences  the  outposts  of  one  generation  are 
points  of  departure  for  the  next.  Not  so  in  the  philosophy 
which  deals  with  man's  morals  and  happiness.  There  is  scarce 
ly  a  proper  rule  of  human  conduct  which  is  not  to  be  found  in 
ancient  writings,  sacred  or  profane.  The  restatement  of  them  in 
later  days  has  consisted  simply  of  giving  new  words  to  old 
ideas. 

The  precepts  of  wisdom  so  early  pronounced  in  the  history 
of  man  have  since  been  accessible  to  him  as  an  inexhaustible 
storehouse  of  wealth.  Their  intrinsic  merit  has  been  invested 
with  the  charm  of  epigrammatic  expression,  and  in  proverbs 
the  highest  truths  have  been  given  universal  currency.  Unfor 
tunately  the  treasures  thus  ready  to  our  hands  are  not  gen 
erally  enjoyed.  The  great  majority  of  men  fail  to  profit  from 
either  precept  or  experience.  Of  the  rest,  by  far  the  greater 
number  learn  only  from  what  befalls  themselves  and  die  before 
their  education  is  half  completed.  The  remaining  few  grasp 
the  lessons  taught  by  others,  and  to  these  we  attribute  the  gift 
of  genius. 

The  commonplace,  more  than  the  extraordinary  mind,  re 
quires  counsel,  but  seeks  it  less  eagerly  and  is  benefited  less 
thereby.  So  the  weak  plant  /requires  more  nourishment  than 
the  strong,  but  is  slower  to  send  out  roots  in  quest  of  or  to 
utilize  it  when  found. 

Lessons  of  truth  are  like  the  countless  seeds  which  plants 
yield  in  their  efforts  at  reproduction.  An  insignificant  number 
germinate,  and  of  these  how  few  escape  destruction  before  the 
bud  develops  into  blossom,  the  blossom  into  fruit  and  the  fruit 
into  seed  again.  It  is  only  under  favorable  conditions  that  the 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  LIFE.  315 

germ,  however  perfect  in  itself,  will  sprout  and  grow.  If  the 
soil  be  barren,  the  climate  hostile  or  the  planting  unseasonable, 
there  will  be  "none,  or  bitter  fruit."  The  plainest  truths  ever 
uttered  even  by  inspired  lips  will  not  find  lodgment  and  growth 
in  minds  that  are  sterile,  abnormal  or  distracted. 

When  the  triumphs  of  war  inflame  the  mind,  the  philosophy 
of  peace  speaks  to  unlistening  ears.  Power  silences  reason, 
and  the  lust  for  conflict  breaks  the  barriers  of  righteousness. 
It  is  an  unequal  contest  between  swords  and  syllogisms.  The 
fairest  breeze  evokes  no  music  from  a  harp  with  broken  or  dis 
cordant  strings. 

Therefore,  every  occasion  of  solemnity  or  joy  is  seized  by 
the  teacher  to  impart  an  appropriate  lesson  to  minds  made  im 
pressionable  by  the  event  celebrated.  "A  word  fitly  spoken  is 
like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver." 

Thus  impressed,  I  come  not  to  interest  the  old  by  reminis 
cences  of  the  past,  or  the  middle  aged  by  discourse  on  the  pres 
ent,  but  to  bear  a  message  to  the  young  whose  eyes  and  hopes 
are  set  upon  the  future. 

The  college  final  is  life's  commencement.  For  the  young 
men  and  young  women  who  have  finished  their  school  studies 
to-day  a  new  career  begins.  They  stand  at  the  edge  of  a  forest 
into  which  they  are  about  to  plunge.  As  they  proceed  with  wis 
dom  or  folly  so  shall  they  be  happy  or  miserable.  If  they  have 
any  conception  of  the  solemnity  of  this  hour,  what  I  shall  say 
will  not  be  commonplace  to  them,  however  it  seems  to  others. 
The  modest  guide  post  which  cannot  claim  a  glance  from  the 
experienced  traveler,  deeply  interests  him  who  is  a  stranger  to 
the  road. 

Young  women  and  young  men !  Do  not  consider  your  school 
ing  as  completed.  The  end  of  college  days  is  the  beginning 
of  a  new  education,  in  which  the  study  of  man  in  the  practical 
affairs  of  life  makes  up  the  entire  curriculum.  Do  not  look 
upon  the  world  as  holding  the  prizes  for  which  you  must  seek. 
Success  in  life  depends,  not  upon  what  youth  finds  in  the  world, 
but  upon  what  he  brings  to  it.  And  what  is  that  success,  to 
achieve  which  you  have  studied  here  and  are  content  to  toil 


3l6  LEO  N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

hereafter?  Nothing  is  more  important  to  consider,  for  if  you 
proceed  blindly  or  erroneously  you  will  realize  too  late  in  bit 
terness  and  sorrow  the  truths  which  the  experience  of  others 
makes  so  plain  to  those  who  have  the  wit  to  learn. 

Success  is  not  synonymous  with  riches,  or  power,  or  fame. 
It  may  embrace  one  or  more,  or  all  of  these,  but  who  sets  either, 
or  all,  as  his  goal,  will  grow  heartweary  in  the  quest  and  be 
heartsick  even  when  the  end  sought  is  attained.  Let  me  not 
be  misunderstood  as  preaching  a  gospel  of  poverty,  servility  or 
indifference.  On  the  contrary,  I  hold  riches,  power  and  fame 
in  high  esteem  as  ornaments  and  utilities  of  life.  They  are  aids 
to  success,  but  must  not  be  confounded  with  it. 

The  most  appalling  evil  which  pervades  society  is  the  dis 
position  to  make  riches  the  one  great  object  of  effort  and  sacri 
fice.  From  the  earliest  times  sages  have  pointed  out  the  folly, 
the  misery  and  the  sinfulness  of  this  disposition.  The  uniform 
testimony  of  those  who  have  thus  devoted  their  lives  is  against 
it,  and  yet  men  and  women,  generation  after  generation,  with 
apparently  incurable  fatuity,  pay  any  price  for  mere  wealth. 
Health,  peace,  contentment,  domestic  happiness,  reputation,  aye 
even  honor,  are  all  thrown  into  the  scale  to  make  the  weight 
demanded  for  riches,  which,  when  acquired,  cannot  repurchase 
what  has  been  paid  for  them,  or  secure  other  goods  to  take  their 
place. 

If  Robinson  Crusoe  on  his  lonely  isle  had  exhausted  his 
strength,  undermined  his  health  and  denied  himself  recreation 
in  order  to  build  more  habitations  than  he  required,  his  folly 
would  have  been  patent;  but  how  few  can  see  that  beyond  a 
certain  point  riches  are  as  useless  in  the  busy  haunts  of  men 
as  superfluous  habitations  would  have  been  to  the  famous  cast 
away.  Wealth  is  desirable  enough  as  a  means,  but  to  make  it 
the  end  of  existence  is  the  supremest  folly.  A  strong  arm  is 
also  desirable,  but  to  make  it  abnormally  so  involves  waste  of 
time  and  effort,  besides  impairment  of  the  general  vigor. 

So  uniform  and  universal  is  the  proof  that  great  wealth  is 
an  unworthy  and  disappointing  end  that  few  are  willing  to  pro 
claim  the  acquisition  thereof  as  their  life  purpose.  But  many 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  LIFE.  317 

delude  themselves  and  strive  to  delude  others  by  the  avowal 
that  wealth  is  sought  as  a  "stepping-stone  to  higher  things." 
Of  these  the  most  prominent  are  power  and  fame — the  twin 
vanities  which  lure  men  from  the  paths  of  virtue  and  happi 
ness.  Power  weighs  heavily  enough  upon  him  who  by  reason 
of  his  fitness  has  it  imposed  upon  him,  it  overwhelms  him  who 
is  vainglorious  enough  to  seek  it.  A  wise  king  once  said  that 
"whoever  knew  the  weight  of  a  sceptre  would  not  stoop  to  pick 
it  up,  though  he  saw  it  lying  on  the  ground." 

And  why  should  men  seek  fame  when  history  so  clearly 
proves  that  the  only  fame  worth  having  ever  eludes  those  who 
pursue  it  and  flies  to  those  whose  deeds  are  prompted  by  duty 
alone  ? 

I  hold  it  true  that  whoever  deserves  the  good  opinion  of  his 
fellowmen  desires  it.  In  praise  he  recognizes  the  sanction  of 
his  life  by  those  who  are  influenced  or  affected  thereby.  But 
such  a  man  does  not  shape  his  course  to  catch  the  popular 
breeze,  or  fancy  himself  great  because  he  has  attained  an  ephe 
meral  celebrity  or  won  public  office.  He  does  not  forsake  the 
paths  of  peace,  and  the  pleasures  of  home  save  when  duty  calls. 
The  strenuous  life  is  lived  by  him  with  courage  when  it  is  im 
posed  by  duty,  but  he  does  not  seek  it  for  its  vain  rewards.  He 
distinguishes  wisely  between  the  patriot  in  arms  and  the  soldier 
of  fortune. 

Only  by  ascertaining  the  true  mission  of  life,  devoting  every 
energy  to  its  fulfilment  and  subordinating  thereto  all  meaner 
things,  is  happiness  attainable,  and  happiness  is  success. 

The  true  mission  of  a  woman  is  to  be  wife  and  mother;  of 
a  man  to  be  husband  and  father.  In  that  proposition  is  con 
tained  all  of  the  rights  and  duties  of  both  sexes,  and  the  key 
to  human  happiness.  It  is  the  law  of  animated  nature,  the  pre 
cept  of  philosophy,  the  command  of  religion. 

The  uplifting  of  woman  from  the  ignominious  station  to 
which  she  was  assigned  in  ancient  and  darker  ages;  her  induc 
tion  into  the  fields  of  science,  literature  and  art;  her  participa 
tion  in  the  conduct  of  bread-winning  industries,  have  not  re 
lieved  her  of  the  obligations  or  shorn  her  of  the  privileges 


LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

which  hallow  and  crown  her.  Woman  is  no  longer  regarded  as 
man's  slave,  plaything  or  divinity.  From  these  conditions  she 
has  been  freed  by  the  broadening  civilization  of  these  later 
days.  But  her  emancipation  must  not  be  misunderstood  or  mis 
applied.  She  affronts  her  own  dignity  by  any  imitation  of  the 
habits  and  conduct  peculiar  to  man,  for  in  that  she  confesses 
the  superiority  against  which  she  so  earnestly  protests.  In  the 
highest  development  of  her  own  faculties  along  natural  lines 
lies  her  mission  of  honor,  usefulness  and  happiness.  Though 
her  increasing  strength  of  mind  and  body  enables  her  to  enter 
fields  that  her  predecessors  never  trod;  though  she  shine  in  the 
learned  professions  and  win  laurels  in  book-making,  painting 
and  sculpture,  yet  remains  she  a  woman  glorified  alike  by  the 
limitations  and  the  privileges  of  her  sex.  If  she  pursues  any 
calling  or  career  which  disqualifies  her  from  her  real  mission, 
she  subordinates  the  higher  to  the  lower  purposes  of  life  and 
makes  that  the  end  which  should  be  only  the  means, 

The  devotees  of  art  are  wont  to  prate  of  art  for  art's  sake, 
as  if  it  were  some  deity  to  be  worshiped  in  preference  to  others 
that  are  recognized.  I  confess  I  have  never  appreciated  this 
doctrine,  if  it  may  be  so  designated,  and  it  has  always  struck 
me  as  a  weak  and  vain  attempt  to  escape  those  obligations  to 
God  and  society  which  rest  alike  upon  the  peasant  and  the  poet, 
the  hewer  of  wood  and  the  sculptor. 

So,  too,  we  hear  occasionally  of  women  who  set  up  art, 
science,  literature,  or  even  philanthropic  work,  to  be  worshiped 
and  who  set  aside  all  considerations  of  family  as  impediments 
to  success.  I  pity  all  such  women.  Though  they  suffer  their 
minds  to  deal  with  problems  only  of  vast,  universal  or  infin 
ite  importance,  though  they  toy  with  unfathomable  mysteries 
and  fancy  that  with  rhetorical  flashes  they  can  make  clear  the 
darkness  which  the  steady  light  of  wisdom  cannot  penetrate, 
they  miss  the  greatest  of  all  lessons  and  lose  the  greatest  of 
life's  compensations.  The  abnormal  aspirations  of  such  a  woman 
have  blinded  her  to  the  light  of  love  and  made  her  deaf  to  the 
music  of  infant  voices.  They  have  shrunk  her  soul  to  the  nar 
rowness  of  her  own  purposes  and  left  no  room  for  God's. 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  LIFE. 

There  is  no  education  too  high  for  a  woman.  There  is  no 
equipment,  physical,  mental  or  moral,  too  great  for  the  office 
of  wife  and  mother,  and  if  she  qualifies  herself  to  be  self-sup 
porting  she  will  the  more  highly  esteem  relations  into  which 
she  is  not  forced  by  her  helplessness.  What  I  plead  for  in  the 
training  of  woman  is  fitness  for  her  career  as  a  woman — not 
fitness  merely  to  compete  with  men. 

What  I  have  said  in  regard  to  the  gentler  sex  is  the  opin 
ion  of  most  women  and  all  men.  The  same  reasoning  upon 
which  that  opinion  is  based  applies  with  equal  force  to  man. 

Lord  Bacon  stands  almost  alone  among  great  thinkers  in 
his  opinion  that  marriage  is  an  impediment  to  greatness,  and 
his  statement  that  the  greatest  deeds  have  been  performed  by 
men  who  had  not  charged  themselves  with  wives  and  children, 
he  fails  to  support  with  examples  or  authority. 

Lucretius  holds  that  the  civilization  of  mankind  resulted 
from  marriage  and  the  family  relation,  and  Horace  regarded 
the  contempt  into  which  home  and  family  had  fallen  as  the 
fountain-head  of  all  the  ills  that  fell  on  Rome.  Juvenal's  famous 
invective  was  not  against  marriage,  but  against  the  corrupt 
women  of  his  time. 

A  recent  American  law  writer  of  high  ability,  after  deep  re 
search,  concludes  that  "Marriage  is  a  relation  divinely  instituted 
for  the  mutual  comfort,  well-being  and  happiness  of  both  man 
and  woman,  for  the  proper  nurture  and  maintenance  of  offspring 
and  for  the  education  in  turn  of  the  whole  human  race ;"  and 
again,  that  "in  the  family,  rather  than  individualism,  we  find 
the  incentive  to  accumulation,  and  in  the  home  the  primary  school 
of  the  virtues,  private  and  public."  "Marriage,"  says  Sir  James 
Mclntosh,  "is  the  fit  nursery  of  the  commonwealth."  History 
abundantly  proves  that  the  civilization  of  a  nation  can  be  meas 
ured  by  the  home  life  of  its  people.  The  home  gives  effective 
ness  to  religion,  tone  to  social  life,  stability  to  government  and 
nourishment  to  the  arts.  It  engenders  worship  of  God,  devotion 
to  country,  love  for  our  fellow-men  and  the  self-uplifting  to 
higher  and  better  things  not  otherwise  obtainable. 

Nomads  never  progress  far  in  civilization.     They  have  no 


32O  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

homes  in  the  true  sense  of  that  term.  The  downfall  of  Greece 
and  Rome  in  ancient  times,  and  of  France  in  the  last  century, 
was  due,  in  each  instance,  to  a  misconception  or  disregard  of 
the  home  life. 

You  young  men  are  rich  in  health,  youth,  energy,  courage, 
intelligence,  education  and  ambition.  Perhaps  you  think  with 
such  wares  you  may  aspire  to  some  great  destiny  in  which  the 
home  or  family  plays  none,  or  an  incidental  part.  If  so,  I  would 
suggest  that  the  consensus  of  opinion  for  many  centuries  upon 
a  question  of  the  kind  under  consideration  is  disregarded  only 
by  a  temerity  which  shades  into  folly.  Moreover,  among  the 
matured  men  within  your  acquaintance  are  many  who  in  their 
youth  possessed  the  same  equipment  in  which  you  now  rejoice. 
They  had  their  wares;  observe  what  disposition  they  made 
thereof  and  the  results.  If  you  study  their  lives  with  half  the 
zeal  and  intelligence  you  have  bestowed  upon  your  books,  you 
will  learn  lessons  of  priceless  value. 

You  will  learn  how  true  it  is  that  the  wastefulness  of  youth 
makes  the  want  of  later  years,  and  that  this  applies  equally  to 
riches,  health  and  mental  force. 

You  will  learn  that  the  intemperate  habits  which  are  laughed 
at  as  the  permissible  follies  of  youth,  even  when  discontinued 
before  they  become  fixed,  yet  leave  in  wasted  vitality  and  a 
debased  moral  sense  their  enduring  mementoes. 

You  will  learn  that  youth  with  its  energy  and  courage,  be 
they  never  so  great,  steadily  recedes  before  the  conquering  ad 
vance  of  Time,  and  that  the  pleasures  which  were  mistaken 
for  happiness  mockingly  desert  their  old  victims  to  seek  the 
new. 

You  will  learn  that  he  who  chased  the  flying  form  of  fame 
fell  panting  in  the  race  dishevelled,  bruised  and  spent,  while  to 
the  misery  of  failure  were  added  the  jeers  of  the  amused  on 
lookers. 

You  will  learn  that  he  who  made  riches  his  one  objective 
point,  either  failed  to  attain  it;  or  worse  still,  made  the  difficult 
ascent  only  by  throwing  away,  in  whole  or  part,  health,  peace, 


THE   SUCCESSFUL   LIFE.  321 

friends,  self-esteem  and  the  joys  of  domestic  life.  You  will 
learn  that  he  lost  the  grain  of  life  for  its  golden  husk. 

You  will  learn  that  the  boasted  freedom  of  him  who  hath 
not  wife -or  children  is  so  hateful  to  the  possessor  that  he  will 
counsel  all  his  friends  to  that  sweet  bondage,  the  avoidance  of 
which  was  his  undoing. 

You  will  learn  further  that  though  a  man  has  achieved  every 
thing  else  for  which  he  strove,  but  has  failed  in  the  home  and 
family  life,  he  has  not  found  happiness ;  that  if  he  has  succeeded 
in  the  home  life,  the  pain  of  failure  in  this  or  that  endeavor 
soon  gave  way  to  his  enduring  joys. 

If  reflection  convinces  you  that  the  true  mission  of  man  is 
to  be  husband  and  father;  to  establish  and  maintain  a  perfect 
home  and  to  be  the  competent  head  of  a  worthy  family,  you 
will  have  a  market  for  your  wares — a  definite  goal  for  your  am 
bition — a  purpose  to  attain  which  you  can  and  should  begin 
work  at  once.  Do  not  underestimate  the  task. 

Y'ou  must  determine  at  no  distant  date  where  you  will  es 
tablish  yourself.  In  making  your  decision,  keep  in  view  your 
future  home  and  family  life.  Do  not  be  content  because  you  are 
a  young  man,  with  a  location  unsuitable  for  such  a  home  life 
as  you  aspire  to.  Study  the  climate,  the  healthfttlness,  the  beauty 
and  productiveness  of  the  region,  and  the  moral  and  intellectual 
tone  of  its  people.  Examine  the  county  records  and  the  court 
dockets.  If  you  find  that  the  people  are  not  home-owners  and 
that  the  dockets  are  crowded  with  divorce  suits,  go  elsewhere. 

Having  located,  address  yourself  seriously  to  whatever  call 
ing  you  have  chosen.  Make  yourself  master  of  it,  and  pursue 
it  with  industry  and  fidelity.  Returns  will  soon  follow  proper 
effort.  Then  will  come  great  dangers.  The  first  successes  are 
apt  to  make  youth  think  that  the  future  struggles  will  be  light. 
He  too  often  becomes  intoxicated  thereby  and  not  only  loses 
the  fruit  of  victory,  but  relaxes  his  vigilance  and  wastes  his 
reserve  forces.  Thus  the  untrained  captain,  unmindful  of  the 
long  strong  line  of  battle  which  lies  ahead,  fancies  that  he  has 
touted  the  enemy  by  driving  back  a  few  skirmishers. 

Let  one  success  be  a  step  to  the  next  and  push  on.    Be  eco- 


322  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

nomical.  That  home  which  you  have  in  view  will  be  humble  or 
stately,  bare  or  beautiful,  according  to  your  means,  and  unless 
you  be  economical  your  earnings  will  not  grow  and  your  patri 
mony  will  not  remain. 

When  recruits  are  mustered  in  the  officers  impress  upon 
them  the  importance  of  caring  for  their  health.  It  belongs,  say 
they,  not  to  the  soldier,  but  to  his  country,  and  it  is  as  much  the 
soldier's  duty  to  preserve  it  as  his  arms  and  ammunition.  Your 
health  does  not  belong  to  you  alone.  It  belongs  also  to  your 
country,  to  society,  and  above  all,  to  your  family.  Your  vital 
forces  will  decrease  from  day  to  day  according  to  your  con 
sumption  thereof.  They  are  limited  to  the  requirements  of  tem 
perate  life.  If  your  labors,  your  habits,  or  your  pleasures  be 
abnormal,  those  forces  will  not  only  be  prematurely  exhausted, 
but  their  quality  degraded.  The  glow  of  modern  life  is  too 
often  secured  by  burning  it  up.  We  study  anatomy  and  physiol 
ogy  in  a  perfunctory  manner  and  only  learn  that  we  have  stom 
achs  and  nerves  when  their  derangement  is  accomplished. 

But  industry,  economy  and  health  do  not  complete  the  qual 
ifications  which  are  required  of  you.  Between  the  home  and 
its  social  and  political  surroundings  the  most  intimate  relations 
exist.  If  society  be  debased  or  benighted,  the  moral  and  in 
tellectual  tone  of  its  constituents  will  be  affected  thereby.  There 
fore,  the  uplifting  and  betterment  of  your  social  environment  is 
your  right  and  duty. 

The  precious  rights  of  life,  property  and  liberty  are  guaran 
teed  by  our  State  and  our  country.  To  insure  the  purity  and 
wisdom  of  public  laws,  and  the  efficient  and  just  enforcement 
thereof  is  not  less  the  concern  of  the  citizen  than  his  own 
private  affairs.  The  citizen  participates  alike  in  the  glory  and 
disgrace,  the  impotence  and  greatness  of  his  country.  From 
the  individual  to  the  nation  flow  the  power,  virtue  and  wisdom 
it  enjoys,  and  to  the  individual  these  are  returned  in  the  bless 
ings  of  order,  protection  and  progress  "as  the  sea  returns  to  the 
rivers  in  rain."  These  reciprocal  obligations  require  every  man 
to  be  active  for  the  public  good  in  peace  and  war.  Not  active 
in  exploitation  of  the  public  coffers,  not  active  to  secure  power 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  LIFE.  323 

and  glory  for  their  own  sakes,  but  active  as  patriots  rendering 
the  service  that  is  due  simply  because  it  is  due. 

In  the  ideal  home  to  which  every  true  man  should  aspire, 
all  the  virtues  must  unite.  The  wife  and  mother  must  bring 
the  graces,  the  patience,  the  purity  and  the  piety  which  make 
her  domestic  throne  a  shrine ;  the  husband  and  father  must 
bring  the  high  qualities  which  distinguish  the  good  citizen,  the 
patriot,  and  the  man  of  righteousness  and  honor.  Solomon 
has  described  the  woman;  David  the  man. 

In  nothing  is  man  so  eloquent  as  in  setting  forth  the  attrac 
tive  virtues  of  woman.  As  son,  lover,  husband  or  sire,  he  lays 
at  her  feet  the  tributes  of  praise.  But  alas !  too  seldom  is  the 
tribute  of  words  accompanied  by  the  tribute  of  conduct.  If  we 
exalt  woman  for  her  patient  industry,  her  self-sacrificing  devo 
tion,  her  tender  ministrations  and  her  chastity,  and  cast  her  off 
for  want  of  these,  we  find  justification  in  the  requirements  of 
family  and  society.  Nor  can  the  justice  of  this  be  denied.  The 
sternness  with  which  we  avert  our  faces  from  the  unworthy 
woman  measures  our  esteem  for  her  who  is  not.  But  this  jus 
tice,  if  exact,  is  not  impartial.  The  family  and  society  make 
no  demands  upon  one  sex  which  should  not  be  asserted  against 
the  other.  They  are  not  enforced  with  equal  severity,  it  is  true, 
but  this  is  due  to  a  perversion  of  rights  and  not  to  a  difference 
between  them.  The  man  who  renders  himself  unfit  for  his  holy 
mission  as  husband  and  father  is  as  culpable  as  the  woman  who 
does  like  violence  to  her  duty  as  wife  and  mother.  To  set  a 
high  standard  for  woman  compliments  her;  to  set  a  like  stand 
ard  for  ourselves  glorifies  her.  To  make  ourselves  worthy  oi 
the  virtues  we  require  in  her  is  the  only  just  recognition  thereof, 
and  the  only  rational  basis  of  union.  The  perfect  union  is  not 
between  the  indulgent  angel  and  the  flattering  sinner,  but  be 
tween  two  thoughtful  serious  persons,  having  in  mind  their 
mutual  obligations  and  resolute  to  fulfil  them.  In  poetry  and 
romance  the  beauty  of  love  is  made  holy;  in  the  happy  home 
the  holiness  of  love  is  made  beautiful.  Considerations  such  as 
these  should  govern  in  forming  the  marriage  relation.  Upon 
man  more  than  upon  woman  rests  the  responsibility  for  results. 


324  LEO    N.    LEVI    MEMORIAL   VOLUME. 

Immemorial  custom  confers  upon  him  the  initiative ;  nature  and 
training  have  made  him  the  stronger.  He  must  not  stop  at  a 
careful  inventory  of  the  contributions  which  will  be  made  to  the 
home  by  her  who  is  to  preside  over  it;  he  must  examine  his 
own.  They  cannot  be  too  many  or  too  great.  Indeed,  they 
rarely  are  enough.  He  is  strangely  free  from  man's  infirmities 
who  is  altogether  worthy  of  a  woman's  honor  and  a  woman's 
love.  He  is  indeed  remarkable  among  his  kind  if  he  can  be 
set  up  as  a  model  for  those  to  whom  he  has  transmitted  life. 
To  be  such  a  model  is  manifest  duty,  and  brings  manifest  com 
pensations.  "In  the  place  of  the  sires  there  shall  their  children 
be."  You  upon  whose  childhood  and  youth  so  much  pains  have 
been  given  by  the  parents  now  already  nearing  the  close  of 
their  days,  are  what^your  parents  made  you.  They  are  respon 
sible  for  you,  and  as  you  reflect  credit  or  discredit  upon  the 
home  from  which  you  came,  so  are  they  rejoiced  or  saddened. 
Like  responsibilities  will  rest  on  you  hereafter.  Young  as  you 
are,  it  is  not  too  soon  to  think  of  them.  Grapes  do  not  grow 
from  thorns.  The  life  you  live  is  the  life  you  will  transmit; 
the  habits  of  your  life  will  be  examples  for  your  offspring. 

In  your  recent  examinations,  if  you  have  been  faithful  stu 
dents,  you  have  not  exhibited  superficial  proficiency  as  the  re 
sult  of  extraordinary  efforts  during  the  few  weeks  preceding 
the  close  of  the  session,  but  have  demonstrated  that  throughout 
the  term  you  have  been  training  your  minds  by  assiduous  appli 
cation  to  your  studies.  The  diploma  which  does  not  mean  that 
is  worthless. 

The  preparation  for  your  career  in  life  should  proceed  in 
the  same  way.  You  cannot  degrade  your  person,  your  morals 
and  your  mind  by  intemperance,  debauchery  and  debasing  asso 
ciations  and  expect  in  future  years  to  suddenly  qualify  your 
selves  for  the  home  and  family  life.  If  you  have  the  elements 
of  success  you  stand  ready  to  make  every  sacrifice  which  suc 
cess  demands,  and  you  will  with  fidelity  bend  every  energy 
and  faculty  to  making  yourself  fit  physically,  mentally  and  mor 
ally  not  only  to  be  a  good  citizen,  a  noble  patriot,  an  able  expo 
nent  of  your  vocation,  an  upright  and  honorable  man,  but  to 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  LIFE.  325 

be  all  of  these  and  more,  the  worthy  husband  and  father.  That 
is  the  successful  life. 

This  is  all  very  trite.  So  are  the  Ten  Commandments.  So 
is  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  So  is  the  Constitution  of 
our  country.  In  the  name  of  that  country,  its  honor  and  its 
happiness,  I  beg  you  as  factors  in  the  destiny  thereof  turn  not 
away  from  the  truth  because  it  is  not  new.  On  the  contrary, 
let  new  ideas  like  strangers,  while  received  with  hospitality, 
be  held  under  suspicion  until  they  have  proven  their  claim  to 
your  confidence. 

Modern  civilization  engenders  new  thought,  but  not  new 
principles  of  right.  The  coining  of  phrases  results  in  counter 
feits  unless  they  contain  the  metal  of  truth.  Nero  acquired  no 
immortality  because  his  courtiers  called  him  a  god.  The  Crea 
tor  did  not  cease  to  exist  when  the  French  abolished  Him,  and 
the  Decalogue  cannot  be  repealed  by  men  or  nations.  Not  des 
tiny,  but  God,  reigns,  not  might,  but  right,  is  the  proper  rul« 
of  conduct. 

It  is  because  in  these  days  so  many  time-honored  principles 
have  been  assailed  by  insidious  sophistry  or  brazen  power  that 
I  have  been  impelled  to  employ  this  opportunity  to  assert  and 
defend  your  true  mission.  Cupidity,  ambition,  and  the  brutal 
instinct  of  combativeness,  under  euphemistic  titles,  invite  you 
to  barter  your  precious  wares  for  worthless  trinkets.  You  are 
told  that  we  of  this  age  have  outlived  the  traditions  of  our 
fathers;  that  religion  is  an  exploded  superstititon ;  that  vic 
tory  is  better  than  honor;  that  aggression  is  the  mark  of  cour 
age;  that  the  duty  of  power  is  to  dominate  and  spoliate  the 
weak;  that  in  the  downfall  of  others  is  to  be  found  our  own 
uplifting;  that  to  tread  the  paths  of  peace  and  the  orderly  de 
velopment  of  home  is  to  lead  a  life  of  ignoble  ease. 

Against  such  heresies  I  come  to  enter  my  earnest  if  humble 
protest.  Let  us  learn  wisdom  from  the  nations  whose  greatness 
was  destroyed  by  their  crimes.  Let  us  learn  anew  that  the  vent 
for  our  talent  and  energies  is  not  in  the  strenuous  life  which  nour 
ishes  itself  by  preying  on  others,  but  in  that  other  and  better  life 
which  takes  sustenance  from  Nature's  swelling  breast;  that  the 


326  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

virtue  of  the  citizen  is  the  source  of  social  and  national  great 
ness,  and  that  this  virtue  is  fostered,  not  in  the  camp  of  the  con 
queror,  not  on  the  rostrum  of  the  demagogue,  not  in  the  counting- 
room  of  syndicates,  but  in  the  home.  Happy  the  man,  happy 
the  woman,  who  grasps  these  truths — for  they  shall  find  that  the 
family  is  a  dynasty,  the  home  a  kingdom,  the  fireside  a  throne. 


FLAG  PRESENTATION. 

May  2Est,  1898. 

"COLONEL  RICHE,  OFFICERS  AND  PRIVATES  OF  THE  GAL- 
VESTON  REGIMENT:  The  name  which  your  regiment  bears  is 
.honored  wherever  commerce  has  planted  the  seed  or  garnered 
the  harvests  of  civilization.  It  stands  for  success  wrested  by 
energy  from  refractory  environments.  It  stands  for  a  city 
already  in  the  front  rank  of  the  world's  great  seaports,  and 
famous  everywhere  for  the  virtue  of  its  citizens.  These,  fiom 
the  oldest  to  the  youngest,  are  proud  to  be  Galvestonians.  In 
the  nature  of  things,  they  could  not  all  be  here  to-night,  but 
this  magnificent  gathering  is  here  to  represent  them,  and 
through  me  to  deliver  an  appropriate  message.  From  the  center 
of  this  community,  quivering  from  the  throbs  of  a  vast  com 
merce,  to  the  suburbs  where  the  cotter's  humble  home  is  glori 
fied  by  domestic  happiness,  our  people  greet  you  and  speed  you 
with  one  voice  and  one  heart.  (Applause.)  Some  long  for 
peace,  some  thirst  for  war,  but  all  are  for  our  country.  (Enthu 
siastic  applause.)  The  differences  among  us  preceding  this  con 
flict  are  laid  aside,  and  we  all  now  read  in  the  success  of  our 
arms  a  new  epoch  of  justice,  humanity  and  freedom.  (Re 
newed  cheering.) 

"You  will  soon  go  forth  to  encounter  the  hardships  and 
perils  of  war.  You  go  consecrated  by  our  name  and  inspired 
by  the  love  of  a  country,  great  because  her  sons  fatten  her  with 
their  thrift  in  peace  and  protect  her  with  their  valor  in  strife. 

"To  your  safeguarding  in  this  time  of  trial  our  people — 
your  people — have  directed  me  to  give  this  sacred  emblem  of 
our  nation's  sovereignty.  (Tremendous  cheering.)  This  is  the 
massage  which  I  bear. 

"I  cannot  express  in  words  the  hopes  and  fears  of  humanity 
as  reflected  in  these  stars  and  stripes,  but  I  venture  to  tell  you 


328  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

that  conditions  of  the  trust  we  impose  upon  you  in  delivering 
this  flag  to  your  keeping. 

"To  you  is  allotted  the  duty  of  not  only  preserving  the  al 
ready  splendid  military  record  of  this  city  and  this  state,  but 
also  of  adding  new  luster  to  the  time-worn  page.  On  the  his 
toric  plain  of  San  Jacinto  our  fathers  made  the  enemy  remem 
ber  the  massacres  of  Goliad  and  Alamo.  (Applause.)  If  you 
be  worthy  sons  of  such  sires ;  if  you  be  fit  guardians,  when  you 
plant  or  carry  it  in  'the  red  front  of  war'  you  will  make  the 
Spaniards  remember  the  reconcentrados  and  the  Maine.  (Pro 
longed  cheering.) 

"We  expect  you  to  bring  back  this  token  of  our  confidence; 
but  not  as  bright  and  as  glossy  and  symmetrical  as  now.  It 
may  be  full  of  rents  and  flutter  to  the  breeze  in  smoke-stained 
patches,  but  it  will  be  all  the  dearer  because  of  the  rents  and 
stains  that  shall  tell  us  where  ft  has  been.  We  will  read  your 
records  in  the  wounds  it  bears.  (Applause.)  They  will  assure 
us  that  when  the  awful  din  and  carnage  of  grim  war  put  you  to 
the  supremest  test  you  guarded  our  flag  with  unshrinking 
breasts,  and  carried  it  forward  with  resistless  arms.  We  will 
know  that  you  planted  this  standard  in  lands  where  God's  soft 
est  breezes  have  waited  so  long  to  make  the  music  of  freedom 
by  playing  with  its  folds.  (Cheers.)  That  hour  has  come,  for 
nothing  is  more  certainly  written  in  the  book  of  fate  than  that 
the  colonial  victims  of  Spain's  misgovernment  shall  be  free. 
(Applause.) 

"But  not  alone  must  you  be  valorous  under  this  banner.  Be 
effectively  so.  There  is  honor,  it  is  true,  in  fighting  to  the  death 
even  though  the  fight  be  lost.  Such  honor  even  our  enemies 
claim ;  but  as  for  you,  remember  that  as  Americans  and  as  Tex- 
ans  your  traditions  and  your  history  require  you  not  only  to 
fight,  and  if  need  be  to  die.  but  above  all,  to  fight  and  win.  (  Ap 
plause.) 

"Be  cool  as  well  as  courageous,  resolute  as  well  as  gallant; 
immovable  in  defense,  irresistible  in  attack.  Where  this  flag 
waves  let  foeman  find  the  unyielding  pluck  which  neither  time 
nor  torture  can  subdue.  (Cheers.) 


FLAG    PRESENTATION.  32Q 

"But  you  are  charged  with  doing  credit  to  this  flag  in  other 
scenes  besides  those  of  battle.  There  are  duties  of  the  camp  as 
well  of  the  field.  You  must  endure  privations,  fatigue,  menial 
labor,  hunger  and  pestilence.  Upon  the  demeanor  of  this  regi 
ment  in  these  relations  rests  also  the  honor  of  this  banner,  and 
so  I  say,  if  there  be  one  among  you,  officer  or  private,  who  has 
not  in  cold  blood,  with  a  sedate  mirid,  resolved  to  faithfully  obey 
every  command  to  which  he  is  amenable,  and  to  patiently  bear  all 
the  ills  which  I  have  mentioned,  let  him  not  profane  this  stand 
ard  by  daring  to  march  beneath  it. 

"Galveston  expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty.  (Enthusiastic 
applause.)  You  recognize  the  sentiment  (renewed  cheering) 
and  recall  the  occasion  when  it  thrilled  the  world.  Let  us  draw 
inspiration  from  it.  It  came  from  our  kindred  across  the  sea, 
when  they  fronted  the  same  foe  who  faces  us  now.  Forgotten 
are  enmities  which  divided  us  from  England  in  days  gone  by. 
We  only  remember  that  we  are  of  one  blood  and  animated  by 
the  same  aspirations  for  freedom,  justice  and  fair  play.  (Pro 
longed  cheering.) 

"The  sturdy  speech  which  is  common  to  them  and  to  us  is 
never  so  much  in  tune  as  when  it  tells  of  deeds  like  Waterloo 
or  Trafalgar.  Boys,  I  charge  you  to  carry  this  flag  so  there 
will  be  new  and  not  less  glorious  themes  for  song  and  story  in 
our  mother  tongue.  (Applause.)  I  do  not  doubt  you  will. 
Nor  do  I  doubt  that  when  this  cruel  war  is  over  the  whole 
world  will  listen  to  our  words  when  we  sing  the  homely  lines 
which  our  English  brethren  have  made  into  a  classic: 


do  not  want  to  fight, 
But,  by  jingo,  if  we  do, 
We've  got  the  men,  we've  got  the  ships, 
And  we've  got  the  money  too." 

(Much  cheering.) 

"Some  of  you  will  never  return  in  the  flesh.  In  this  crisis, 
for  many  of  you  will  be  snapped  the  link  which  unites  the  yes 
terday  without  beginning  and  the  to-morrow  without  end.  We 


33O  LEO  N.  LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

sorrow  already  in  anticipation  of  the  fearful  price  which  must 
be  paid  for  liberty  and  justice.  But  it  has  been  ever  so,  and 
now  as  always,  it  must  and  will  be  paid  from  the  treasures  of 
American  valor.  (Applause.) 

"One  word  more:  you  will  teach  anew  in  battle  how  Ameri 
cans  can  fight  and  win  and  the  lesson  will  be  written  in  blood. 
But  you  will  meet  others  besides  the  armed  foe.  Prisoners, 
non-combatants,  helpless  women  and  children  will  be  encoun 
tered  while  your  blood  is  still  afire  with  the  fury  of  conflict. 
In  such  solemn  moments  look  at  this  flag  and  remember  that 
our  fame  rests  on  your  deeds.  You  are  Americans  and  gen 
tlemen,  and  you  will  teach  the  world  that  as  such  you  have 
only  lead  and  steel  for  contending  foes,  but  for  all  the  rest  the 
tender  care  and  protection  of  brave  men.  (Prolonged  ap 
plause.) 

"Take  this  flag,  with  all  its  inspirations  and  its  burdens — 
take  it  with  our  prayers.  'May  the  Eternal  bless  you  and  guard 
you.  May  He  cause  His  face  to  shine  upon  you  and  be  gracious 
unto  you.'  And  through  your  valor  may  our  country  soon  con 
quer  a  peace  that  shall  open  for  us  a  new  and  enduring  era  of 
freedom  and  justice  in  which  all  the  world  may  share."  (Pro 
longed  cheering.) 


ADDRESS  ON  HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN 
CONSTITUTION. 

In  the  common  disposition  to  acquire  knowledge  respecting 
matters  far  removed,  we  are  not  a  little  prone  to  overlook  more 
important  truths  that  lie  immediately  before  us.  The  eye  which  is 
fixed  upon  some  distant  point  does  not  comprehend  in  the  scope 
of  its  vision  the  most  proximate  objects.  It  is  this  same  mental 
idiosyncrasy  that  makes  us  overwise  regarding  the  future,  and 
over- foolish  regarding  the.  present.  We  have  all  heard  learned 
and  plausible  prophecies  as  to  the  future  destiny  of  a  country,  the 
present  status  of  which  was  a  sealed  book  to  the  prophet.  And 
recurring  to  my  first  statement,  who  has  not  heard  the  pedant  tell 
of  the  fauna  and  flora  of  Africa,  Asia  or  Europe,  without  being 
able  to  give  the  correct  names  of  the  modest  flowers  or  musical 
birds  that  grace  his  own  garden.  The  habits  of  the  house  cat  are 
unexplored  mysteries  to  many  who  can  discourse  learnedly  about 
the  polar  bear.  The  Bible,  that  nearest  and  dearest  of  books,  is 
even  among  many  who  pass  for  intelligent  and  cultivated,  best 
known  by  hearsay. 

When  I  protested  against  making  any  remarks  upon  so  thread 
bare  a  theme  as  our  organic  law,  the  gentleman  who  invited  me  to 
address  you  assured  me  that  the  field  was  ripe  unto  the  harvest. 
It  was  confidently  stated  that  very  few  of  the  average  Americans 
could  tell  with  any  accuracy  how  our  Presidents  were  elected. 
Such  statements  startled  me  at  first,  but  a  little  investigation  con 
vinced  me  of  their  correctness.  I  have  found  young  men  and 
young  women,  too,  who  know  more  about  the  Republics  of  Greece 
than  of  the  one  under  which  they  live.  I  have  found  others  who 
know  all  about  Magna  Charta,  and  very  little  about  the  Declara 
tion  of  Independence.  I  have  talked  with  native  Americans  who 
know  as  little  about  the  true  development  of  our  nation  as  they 
do  about  the  rise  of  some  ancient  dynasty  whose  history  has  been 
lost  to  the  world. 

331 


332  LEO  N.   LEVI  MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

Having  learned  all  this  I  have  not  only  become  reconciled  to 
my  task,  but  I  am  pleased  with  it.  It  is  true  it  offers  no  scope  for 
originality,  unless  I  ignore  the  objects  of  these  meetings.  But 
upon  reflection  I  hold  that  originality  is  oftener  a  curse  than  a 
blessing,  especially  to  those  upon  whom  it  is  inflicted.  And  after 
all  the  best  originality  is  not  the  discovery  of  new  truths,  but  the 
correct  application  of  old  truths  to  new  conditions.  It  is  with 
truth  as  with  the/  Cereals.  The  world  is  not  so  much  concerned 
in  discovering  new  varieties,  as  in  increasing  the  acreage  and  har 
vests  of  those  already  known.  If  I  can  drop  a  seed  in  fallow  soil 
tonight  and  make  it  germinate  one  blade  of  knowledge;  if,  to 
change  the  metaphor,  I  can  direct  a  single  mind  to  the  study  of 
the  genius  of  our  government,  it  matters  not  to  me  that  the  means 
have  been  made  to  my  hand  by  others. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  discuss  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States,  upon  any  presumption  that  it  is  familiar  to  us.  When  I 
was  invited  to  appear  before  you,  the  courteous  bearer  of  the 
invitation  indulged  the  presumption  that  I  knew  all  about  the  sub 
ject,  and  my  promised  audience  nothing.  There  was  some  con 
siderable  violence  to  truth  in  this  idea,  but  just  where  I  will  not 
undertake  to  say.  Suffice  that  I  have  adopted  one  part  of  it.  I 
shall  treat  the  subject  as  if  you  knew  nothing  about  it.  In  doing 
so,  I  feel  sure  I  shall  be  wide  of  the  mark ;  not  more  so,  however, 
than  you  will  be  in  adopting  the  other  part.  In  any  event  we  will 
both  be  safe.  If  you  hear  an  "oft  told  tale,"  its  merit  will  save  it 
from  your  harsher  judgment ;  and  if  my  knowledge  be  very  lim 
ited,  at  least  what  I  shall  say  will  be  correct,  because  I  shall  speak 
by,  if  not  from  the  books. 

Within  the  limits  I  have  prescribed  for  myself,  it  will  be  neces 
sary  for  me  to  treat  the  subject  cursorily,  because  anything  like  a 
comprehensive  history  of  the  constitution  would  carry  the  treat 
ment  beyond  my  ability  to  discuss  and  your  capacity  to  endure. 

It  would  necessitate  a  complete  review  of  American  history, 
prior  to  the  constitution.  This  would  involve  the  consideration  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  the  causes  which  led  to  its 
adoption.  We  would  have  to  examine  into  the  separate  charters 
of  each  of  the  thirteen  colonies  and  the  governmental  systems  pre- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CONSTITUTION. 

vailing  in  each.  We  would  be  required  to  study  the  articles  of 
confederation  and  the  revolutionary  war,  and  then  we  would  but 
have  done  the  prefatory  work.  There  would  remain  the  constitu 
tional  convention,  the  legislative  debates,  the  constitutional  amend 
ments,  the  rise  of  political  parties,  the  radical  differences  of  con 
struction,  the  late  war  and  the  era  of  reconstruction.  Whole  li 
braries  have  been. written  about  this  remarkable  constitution,  so 
that  it  would  tire  you  to  have  read  to  you  only  the  titles  of  the 
works  treating  of  it. 

We  must  content  ourselves  with  a  mere  mention  of  the  most 
salient  points — 

The  thirteen  original  states  were  before  the  adoption  of  the 
constitution  distinct  colonies,  each  existing  under  a  distinct  char 
ter  from  the  crown  of  England.  Privileges  granted  and  restric 
tions  imposed  in  some  of  these  charters  were  altogether  or  partly 
omitted  from  others.  They  were  all  dependents  on  the  King  of 
England ;  they  were  all  inhabited  by  people  of  English  birth  or  de 
scent  ;  in  all,  English  was  the  common  language ;  to  all  or  nearly 
all,  the  savage  was  a  common  foe  and  Europe  a  common  field 
for  commerce.  Upon  all,  England,  through  parliament,  sought  to 
impose  and  did  impose  burdens,  which  at  first  excited  separate 
complaint,  and  afterwards  united  protest;  which  led  first  to  re 
sistance  by  one  and  finally  to  revolt  by  all. 

But  while  the  colonies  had  so  many  interests  in  common,  there 
were  not  a  few  circumstances  in  which  their  interests  were  dis 
tinct  or  hostile.  In  some  fishing,  ship  building  and  shipping  were 
chief  industries ;  in  others,  manufactures  and  in  still  another  class, 
agriculture.  In  some  the  slave  was  deemed  a  necessity ;  in  others 
where  he  was  not  required,  slavery  was  an  abomination.  The 
colonies  were  of  different  dimensions,  population,  climate  and 
local  situation.  They  were  naturally  jealous  of  one  another,  and 
it  required  in  the  first  instance  a  great  common  danger  to  relegate 
to  a  second  place  the  manifold  differences  which  bristled  among 
them  in  opposition  to  union.  That  common  danger  was  the  threat 
ened  tyranny  which  England  was  seeking  to  establish  in  the  reg 
ulation  of  Colonial  affairs. 

In  1765  parliament  passed  the  "stamp  act."    This  was  followed 


LEO  N-   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

by  other  despotic  measures  and  the  mutters  of  a  coming  storm 
were  heard  by  those  who  knew  the  temper  of  the  colonists.  Still 
there  was  no  mention  of  resistance  by  actual  force.  Patrick  Hen 
ry  in  1765  defined  in  the  Virginia  assembly,  the  rights  of  the  col 
onies  to  make  their  own  laws  and  impose  their  own  taxes.  He 
was  the  great  Home  Ruler  of  his  day.  Following  the  Virginia 
assembly  came  that  of  Massachusetts,  which  proposed  a  congress 
of  the  colonies.  The  proposition  met  with  favor  and  in  October, 
1765,  the  congress  convened  at  New  York.  It  breathed  a  spirit  of 
loyalty  to  Great  Britain  that  gave  no  promise  of  the  outbreaks 
so  soon  to  follow.  This  congress  indeed  enjoys  its  greatest  sig 
nificance  from  the  fact  that  it  showed  the  colonies  that  by  such 
conventions  they  could  unite  for  their  common  welfare. 

After  the  parliamentary  attack  on  the  charter  of  Massachusetts 
in  1774,  Virginia  suggested  and  Massachusetts  called  the  second 
convention  of  the  colonies.  It  is  commonly  called  the  first  Conti 
nental  Congress,  because  the  one  held  in  1765  was  so  meagerly 
attended  as  to  hardly  deserve  the  title.  The  congress  of  1774  was 
attended  by  the  representatives  of  twelve  of  the  thirteen  colonies, 
Georgia  alone  not  being  represented. 

This  congress  again  respectfully  addressed  the  crown,  but 
there  was  an  unmistakable  undertone,  which  was  clearly  audible. 
It  was  prominent  in  two  measures  adopted.  One  was  the  articles 
of  association,  in  which  a  plan  was  matured,  by  which  everything 
English  was  to  be  boycotted  (as  we  would  now  say).  The  other 
was  an  expression  in  favor  of  the  resistance  made  by  Massachu 
setts  to  English  aggressions  and  the  implied  promise  of  support 
if  force  were  offered  by  England  to  subdue  the  opposition.  Trou 
ble  was  anticipated  from  these  measures  and  the  delegates  fore 
seeing  it  did  not  adjourn  sine  die,  but  to  meet  again  in  May,  1775. 

In  April,  1775,  the  conflict  at  Lexington  occurred  and  the 
first  blood  was  shed  in  the  struggle  for  liberty. 

When  the  congress  met  on  May  10,  1775,  the  condition  had 
arisen  which  recalled  the  implied  promise  made  to  Massachusetts 
eight  months  previous.  The  pledge  was  not  forgotten  nor  vio 
lated.  An  army  was  recognized,  rather  than  organized,  as  the 
American  Continental  Army.  George  Washington  was  chosen  to 


HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CONSTITUTION.  335 

command  it  and  his  commission  as  commander  in  chief  was  issued 
on  June  17,  1775,  the  very  day  on  which  was  fought  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill.  But  all  this  time  there  was  only  resistance,  not  re 
volt.  On  the  contrary,  while  fighting  battles,  equipping  war  ves 
sels,  issuing  paper  money  and  exercising  all  the  prerogatives  of  a 
nation,  the  idea  of  independence  was  protested  against  with  hor 
ror. 

But  in  January,  1776,  Thomas  Paine's  common  sense  pamphlet 
openly  advocated  Independence.  It  met  a  warm  welcome  every 
where  in  America,  and  the  course  of  events  strengthend  its  popu 
larity.  In  June  Richard  Henry  Lee  moved  his  famous  resolution, 
and  on  July  4,  1776,  Congress  adopted  the  masterpiece  of  Thomas 
Jefferson,  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  This  was  the  birth 
day  of  the  United  States  as  declared  by  the  highest  Court  in  the 
land. 

You  will  observe  that  this  Congress  was  composed  of  delegates 
from  distinct  sovereignties  and  that  no  form,  however  crude,  had 
been  adopted  for  managing  the  common  affairs  of  the  colonies. 
They  met  like  so  many  allies  in  a  common  war.  It  was  not  until 
near  the  close  of  1777,  that  this  Congress  adopted  the  articles  of 
Confederation,  and  these  were  not  acceptable  to  New  Jersey,  Del 
aware  and  Maryland. 

If  we  had  time,  it  would  prove  profitable  to  examine  in  detail 
this  first  expedient  at  government.  It  was  a  lamentable  failure. 
It  contained  no  element  of  cohesion,  except  that  which  proceeded 
from  the  danger  of  war.  When  that  was  pressing  there  was  some 
unity  of  action  among  the  colonies;  when  it  was  removed  even 
temporarily,  Congress  was  treated  with  indifference  or  contempt. 
So  weak  indeed  was  this  semblance  of  a  government  that  our  in 
dependence  may  be  attributed  rather  to  the  unpopularity  of  the 
war  in  England,  than  to  the  vigorous  efforts  of  the  colonies.  It 
may  surprise  you  to  learn  that  at  no  time  did  England  have  more 
than  33,000  troops  engaged  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  these 
were  in  a  large  measure  mercenaries.  In  1782  the  war  ended  and 
in  1783  a  treaty  of  peace  was  entered  into. 

All  danger  from  without  being  ended  the  troubles  at  home 
began.  Peace  brought  on  the  greatest  crisis  of  the  Western 


LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

world.  The  colonists  who  bared  their  bosoms  to  the  bullet  for  the 
sake  of  liberty,  could  not  be  stirred  to  enthusiasm  to  preserve  it. 
The  people  and  the  country  were  poor  to  a  degree  that  was  pain 
ful.  Commerce  was  at  a  standstill,  agriculture  had  more  or  less 
been  neglected,  and  now  the  citizen  turned  wearily  from  the  public 
cares  to  provide  for  the  pressing  needs  of  himself  and  family.  The 
tax  gatherer  was  treated  with  contempt  or  violence,  and  the  gov 
ernment's  treasury  was  empty.  The  troops  were  clamoring  for 
pay  and  the  officers  for  rewards.  They  cried  for  bread  and  Con 
gress  could  only  offer  stones.  Liberty  degenerated  into  license 
and  the  prevailing  discontent  among  the  soldiers  and  the  indif 
ference  among  the  civilians  offered,  but  two  apparent  alternatives, 
anarchy  or  a  King.  Washington  was  urged  to  accept  a  crown, 
and  doubtless  he  could  have  established  a  dynasty  had  he  not  put 
aside  the  temptation  between  him  and  the  popular  freedom  for 
which  he  had  fought  so  ably  and  endured  so  much. 

The  only  escape  from  the  alternative  named  was  in  another  and 
stronger  scheme  of  government,  in  which  liberty  should  be  pro 
tected  by  power,  adequate  for  its  preservation  against  attack  from 
within  or  without.  To  attain  such  a  scheme  seemed  well  nigh  im 
possible.  Difficulties  unnecessary  to  mention  stood  in  the  way  of 
a  Convention  and  it  was  only  by  an  accident  that  one  was  as 
sembled. 

The  navigation  of  Chesapeake  Bay  was  the  subject  of  a  con 
ference  between  Maryland  and  Virginia  in  1785,  the  delegates 
meeting  at  Washington's  residence.  At  this  meeting  Maryland 
proposed  a  convention  of  the  colonies  for  the  regulation  of  com 
merce.  It  met  at  Annapolis  in  1786  and  proved  a  failure,  but 
when  it  adjourned  another  convention  was  recommended  by  it,  to 
meet  at  Philadelphia  in  May,  1787.  Congress  approved  the  call, 
and  just  eleven  years  after  Congress  at  Philadelphia  had  declared 
the  colonies  free,  the  great  convention  assembled  at  Philadelphia 
to  insure  their  liberty  by  establishing  their  Union. 

The  constitutional  convention  was  not  a  large  body  of  men. 
There  were  only  fifty-five  delegates,  but  every  delegate  was  an 
intelligent  giant.  The  choicest  spirits  of  the  colonies  were  assem 
bled  in  the  solemn  consideration  of  an  instrument  upon  the  sue- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CONSTITUTION.  337 

cessful  completion  of  which  hung  the  destiny  of  the  Western 
Hemisphere.  If  the  supreme  importance  of  their  labors  had  es 
caped  their  conception,  they  might  well  have  been  forgiven.  They 
could  not  in  the  nature  of  things  know  the  extent  or  resources  of 
the  vast  domain  to  be  directly  affected  by  the  government  they 
were  to  upbuild;  and  even  in  a  much  smaller  degree  were  they 
acquainted  with  the  great  territory  to  the  south  wherein  the  seed  of 
liberty  would  quicken  into  life  under  the  influence  of  our  success 
ful  revolt  against  monarchy.  But  they  did  comprehend  in  a  vague 
way,  all  that  the  century  has  brought  to  pass.  There  were  minds 
there  assembled,  who  looked  forward  with  confidence  to  the  time 
when  from  the  Arctic  ocean  to  Cape  Horn  there  would  be  no  gov 
ernment  that  was  not  based,  broad  and  deep,  upon  the  popular 
will.  That  hour  has  come  to  pass.  Our  neighbors  to  the  north 
are  free  to  part  company  with  England,  if  they  chose  so  to  do, 
and  to  the  south  the  last  crown  took  flight  to  Europe  on  the 
vessel  that  carried  Pedro  from  a  country  which,  much  as  it  loved 
that  great  and  good  ruler,  loved  liberty  yet  more. 

The  delegates  represented  a  constituency  about  one-twentieth 
of  the  present  population  of  the  United  States.  They  represented 
people  whose  entire  commerce  even  figured  per  capita  was  trifling 
compared  to  that  which  now  exists.  No  human  intellect  could 
foretell  the  changes  that  have  occurred,  but  that  changes  would 
occur,  and  that  they  would  be  momentous  was  deemed  a  fore 
gone  conclusion.  These  great  men  dealt  with  the  problems  before 
them  with  great  earnestness  and  deliberation.  They  knew  the 
responsibilities  which  rested  upon  them,  and  their  labors  in  dis 
charge  thereof  extended  over  a  period  of  four  months  and  three 
days. 

George  Washington  of  Virginia  presided.  Among  the  dele 
gates  were  James  Madison  of  Virginia,  afterwards  President  of 
the'  United  States ;  Edmund  Randolph,  aftenvards  Secretary  of 
State ;  Benjamin  Franklin  and  the  two  Morris'  from  Pennsyl 
vania  ;  Rufus  King  and  Elbridge  Gerry  of  Massachusetts ;  Roger 
Sherman  and  Oliver  Ellsworth  of  Connecticut,  the  latter  after 
wards  being  the  chief  justice  of  the  United  States;  Alexander 
Hamilton  of  New  York;  Paterson  of  New  Jersey  and  the  Pinck- 


LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

neys  and  John  Rutledge  of  South  Carolina.  In  any  convention 
composed  of  such  material,  whatever  the  business  before  it,  a 
variety  of  views  would  be  looked  for,  and  every  opinion  would 
have  able  champions.  In  the  constitutional  convention,  aside 
from  the  marked  individuality  of  the  delegates,  there  were  many 
causes  and  grounds  of  difference.  I  have  already  mentioned  some 
of  them.  I  shall  pass  by  all  of  those  that  were  finally  set  at 
rest  without  making  too  marked  an  impression  an  our  govern 
mental  chart.  There  were  some  contentions,  however,  that  can 
not  be  passed  by  without  losing  the  lights  by  which  the  consti 
tution  must  be  studied. 

The  first  wrangle  arose  over  the  basis  of  representation  in 
Congress.  The  large  states  desired  only  a  single  legislative  body, 
which  should  be  chosen  with  reference  only  to  population,  and 
be  clothed  with  the  power  of  making  laws  and  appointing  all 
leading  officers.  This  was  called  the  large  State  plan,  because 
it  would  manifestly  give  the  large  states  the  controlling  voice  in 
national  affairs.  It  is  worthy  of  observation  that  New  York,  now 
the  most  populous  of  the  States,  was  then  among  the  small  states, 
and  at  one  time  her  delegates  withdrew  from  the  convention  in 
anger,  because  they  thought  the  small  states  were  not  receiving 
fair  treatment.  The  small  states  also  wanted  a  single  house,  but 
insisted  that  each  state,  without  reference  to  size  or  population, 
should  have  an  equal  voice  in  the  national  matters,  A  deadlock 
ensued,  and  the  situation  had  to  be  relieved  by  the  first  great 
compromise.  Congress  was  made  to  consist  of  two  bodies,  in 
one  of  which  (the  House  of  Representatives)  the  large  state 
plan  prevailed,  and  in  the  other  of  which  (the  Senate)  the  small 
state  plan  was  adopted.  The  manner  of  electing  the  president 
after  repeated  efforts  was  also  reached  by  a  similar  compromise. 
The  second  great  contention  arose  over  the  slave  trade,  and  this 
was  also  settled  by  an  agreement  that  the  traffic  should  not  be 
interfered  with  for  twenty  years. 

The  third  great  difference  grew  out  of  the  representation  from 
slave-holding  states.  This  was  also  composed  by  the  famous 
compromise  which  gave  to  the  slave  states  representation  for 
three-fifths  of  the  slaves.  In  passing  I  may  remark  that  the  basis 


HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CONSTITUTION.     ,  339 

of  representation  required  an  enumeration  of  the  people,  and  thus 
was  inaugurated  for  the  first  time  in  modern  governments  a  sys 
tematic  census.  When  we  reflect  what  wise  lessons  are  drawn 
from  statistics,  we  wonder  why  in  modern  times  it  was  only  as 
an  incidental  necessity  that  a  census  was  provided  for.  The  great 
est  statesman  of  any  age,  Moses,  had  a  census  thousands  of 
years  before,  but  his  example  was  neglected  in  this  respect,  as 
his  precepts  in  many  others  have  been  disregarded. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  constitution  was  not  the  creation  of 
a  single  mind.  Indeed,  it  was  no  creation  at  all.  It  grew  as  it 
were  from  the  friction  of  the  many  intellects  engaged  in  its  con 
sideration.  It  was  an  evolution  which  proceeded  during  the 
whole  summer  of  1787,  and  when  the  end  was  reached  there 
was  not  perhaps  a  single  delegate  who  voted  for  it  who  was 
wholly  pleased  with  it.  Each  had  been  overruled  upon  some 
point  and  all  had  been  constrained  to  leave,  as  unsettled,  some 
questions  that  were  then  too  critical  to  be  touched.  It  was 
deemed  wiser  to  defer  until  after  times  matters  which,  if  then 
pressed  to  solution,  would  have  wrecked  the  fabric  of  union.  The 
Declaration  of  Independence  proceeded  from  one  brain  and  pen. 
It  is  a  document  written  in  enthusiasm  and  adopted  in  a  like 
fever.  It  displays  the  want  of  calm  deliberation ;  but  the  con 
stitution  is  cold,  dignified  and  indicative  of  the  hard  battles  which 
were  fought  over  nearly  every  word  in  it.  While  it  was  being 
formed  the  people  regarded  the  convention  with  mild  contempt. 
The  fishermen  of  New  England,  the  hunters  of  the  West  and  the 
planters  of  the  Middle  and  Southern  States,  as  a  rule,  either  ig 
nored  the  action  of  the  men  who  labored  so  long  and  so  faith 
fully  in  their  behalf,  or  sneered  at  their  efforts  to  accomplish 
what  was  deemed  almost  impossible.  At  length  the  work  was 
done  and  submitted  to  the  Continental  Congress  with  certain 
recommendations  in  reference  to  its  adoption.  The  arbitrary 
provision  for  ratification  of  the  constitution  by  nine  of  the  states 
was  carefully  ignored,  and  Congress,  fearful  of  its  own  powers, 
refused  to  do  more  in  the  premises  than  to  send  the  constitution 
to  the  Colonial  legislatures  for  consideration. 

Then  began  the  learned  and  exciting  debates  in  which  every 


34°  LEO   N.    LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

phase  of  the  constitution  was  carefully  analyzed.  In  every  legis 
lature  the  battle  raged  fiercely,  and  for  a  while  the  fate  of  the 
constitution  hung  in  a  critical  balance.  The  newspapers  teemed 
with  able  discussions,  and  many  of  these  are  still  preserved  as 
literary,  political  and  legal  classics.  The  efforts  of  Hamilton, 
Madison  and  Jay  in  the  newspapers  and  pamphlets  of  the  day 
have  long  since  been  gathered  into  a  volume,  in  which  the  con 
stitution  is  thoroughly  analyzed,  explained  and  defended.  The 
work  is  known  as  the  Federalist,  and  no  higher  praise  can  be 
accorded  to  it  than  to  say  that  it  is  everywhere  used  as  a  text 
book  on  Constitutional  law, 'and  is  regarded  as  authority  in  all 
our  courts. 

Nine  states  ratified  the  Constitution  before  New  York  or  Vir 
ginia  voted,  and  when  these  did  vote  the  Constitution  carried 
only  by  slender  majorities.  North  Carolina  refused  in  the  first 
instance  to  ratify  at  all,  and  in  Rhode  Island  it  was  not  even 
considered.  After  its  ratification  by  eleven  states  Congress  pro 
ceeded  to  organize  the  new  government,  so  far  as  it  could.  An 
election  was  ordered,  and  George  Washington  was  chosen  presi 
dent  and  John  Adams  vice  president.  The  inauguration  took 
place  March  4th,  1789,  and  in  due  time  all  of  the  departments 
were  organized. 

This  in  brief  is  an  account  of  how  the  Constitution  was 
framed  and  adopted.  It  remains  but  to  state  that  the  first  ten 
amendments  grew  out  of  the  legislative  debates  and  were  adopted 
in  1791,  so  shortly  after  the  Constitution  itself  as  to  be  consid 
ered  almost  a  part  of  it  from  the  beginning. 

Let  us  now  proceed  to  consider  the  Constitutional  Amend 
ments. 

They  are  not  voluminous.  Over  four  months  of  steady  labor 
by  the  able  delegates  assembled  produced  a  work  not  exceeding 
4,300  words.  Over  a  century  has  passed  since  their  deliberations 
ceased,  and  despite  the  vast  changes  in  all  conditions  during  that 
time  we  have  added  only  about  fifteen  hundred  words,  making 
the  total  organic  law,  as  it  now  exists,  comprised  within  7,000 
words.  When  it  is  remembered  that  the  first  ten  amendments 
were  adopted  almost  with  the  Constitution,  and  grew  out  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CONSTITUTION.  34! 

discussion  of  the  latter  when  submitted  for  ratification,  we  can 
appreciate  the  great  foresight  of  those  who  framed  our  govern 
mental  system.  Let%us  pause  to  make  a  few  comparisons.  The 
convention  at  Philadelphia  represented  a  population  of  about 
three  millions.  Their  system  has  endured  successfully  for  a 
century,  requiring  practically  only  five  amendments,  and  now  is 
regarded  with  the  highest  favor,  not  only  by  the  sixty  millions 
who  live  under  it,  but  by  all  the  liberty  loving  people  of  the 
earth.  The  stage  coach  has  given  place  to  vestibuled  trains ;  the 
canal  boat  to  the  fast  steamboat;  the  lugger  to  the  ocean  grey 
hounds;  the  slow  mails  to  the  telegraph.  All  the  material  con 
ditions  and  relations  of  life  have  been  radically  changed;  a  new 
civilization  has  replaced  the  old,  but  so  well  conceived  was  the 
Constitution,  so  well  expressed,  and  its  factors  so  nicely  bal 
anced  that  it  has  never  been  seriously  suggested  in  all  these  years 
that  altered  conditions  required  any  material  change  in  the  or 
ganic  law. 

In  this  state,  formed  with  the  United  States  as  a  model,  we 
have  in  a  little  over  fifty  years  had  five  constitutions,  and  to-day 
we  are  heartily  dissatisfied  with  the  one  we  have.  The  present 
Constitution  of  Texas  is  several  times  more  voluminous  than  the 
National  Constitution,  and  was  designed  to  meet  all  the  ills  that 
flesh  is  heir  to — and  herein  we  see  how  its  framers  departed  from 
the  model  set  before  them.  Congress  has  only  such  powers  as 
are  granted  by  the  Constitution;  the  legislature  of  the  state  has 
all  the  powers  not  denied  by  the  State  Constitution  and  the 
National  Constitution,  laws  and  treaties.  The  National  Consti 
tution  is  brief,  leaving  details  of  legislation  to  the  changing  re 
quirements  that  may  present  themselves ; — the  State  Constitution 
enters  into  details,  as  if  no  other  body  of  men  that  should  follow 
its  framers  would  ever  possess  the  patriotism  or  wisdom  which 
characterized  them.  These  latter,  distrusting  the  people,  ignored 
the  fundamental  principle  of  our  government,  while  the  framers 
of  the  National  Constitution,  jealous,  as  they  were,  of  concen 
trating  power,  recognized  this  truth,  that  wherever  the  people  so 
far  forgot  their  rights  and  surrendered  their  liberty  as  to  sub 
mit  to  an  abuse  of  power,  no  written  instrument,  howsoever  vo- 


342  LEO  N.   LEVI   MEMORIAL  VOLUME. 

luminous  or  clear,  could  stay  the  rule  of  tyranny.  Accordingly, 
they  simply  framed  our  system  in  its  broadest  outlines,  leaving 
the  details  to  develop  themselves.  The  government  was  divided 
into  three  co-ordinate  branches,  each  independent  of  the  others, 
viz.,  the  Legislative,  Judicial  and  Executive  branches.  The  first 
makes  the  laws,  the  second  construes  them,  the  third  executes 
them. 

The  Constitution  in  which  this  division  is  made  and  the  ma 
chinery  of  government  provided  is  divided  into  a  brief  preamble 
and  seven  articles. 

The  first  article  relates  exclusively  to  the  legislative  depart 
ment;  the  second  to  the  executive  and  the  third  to  the  judicial. 
The  fourth  deals  with  the  States  in  their  relations  to  one  another 
and  to  the  nation.  The  fifth  makes  provision  for  amending  the 
Constitution.  The  sixth  relates  to  the  existing  public  debt,  the 
supremacy  of  the  national  law  and  the  oath  of  fealty.  The  sev 
enth  provides  for  the  ratification  of  the  Constitution  by  not  less 
than  nine  states. 

The  first  ten  amendments  were  adopted  in  1791 ;  the  nth,  in 
1798;  the  I2th,  in  1804;  the  I3th,  in  1865;  the  I4th,  in  1868, 
and  the  I5th,  in  1870. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


RETC'r 


-UO- 


LD  2lA-50m-8,'61 
(C1795slO)476B 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


YC  50224 


T 


M18313 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


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